SECTION 2: Areas proposed for the Local Heritage Area Designation
11 1. Addiscombe College Estate 1.1 Summary Current status Designated as an Inglis Road Local Area of Special Character in 2013. Criteria conformity The character of the Inglis Road, Nicholson Road and Grant Road area meets the following criteria for Local Heritage Area designation: • Architectural significance: The northern section of the former Addiscombe College Estate includes Inglis Road, Nicholson Road and a section of Grant Road. It contains a collection of Victorian houses from between 1862 and 1900 that reveal the gradual historic transformation of building forms in the East India Company’s Estate. Such a level of heritage significance requires recognition and protection which can be achieved through designation as a Local Heritage Area.
Recommendation Designate Inglis Road, Nicholson Road and a section of Grant Road area as an Addiscombe College Estate Local Heritage Area. 1.2 Description of the area This area, consisting of Inglis Road, Nicholson Road and a section of Grant Road, is located in Addiscombe. The area has a mixed character which includes Terraced Houses and Cottages and Large Houses on Relatively Small Plots that reflect the historic development of this place. These are residential streets. The architectural style, the quality of the architecture vary, as do the condition and level of preservation of original features. Some Victorian villas, particularly along the northern elevation of Inglis Road, are in a relatively good state of repair with many of their original architectural features preserved. In other locations where buildings are in a fair or poor condition, some of the original features have been lost.
1.3 Assessment Heritage significance Inglis Road, Nicholson Road and Grant Road area, a former Canal Mead, was purchased by the East India Estate in 1830 and subsequently sold in 1861 to the British Land Company together with Addiscombe Place which is currently designated as East India Estate Conservation Area. Map 4. Map of the Inglis Road area
12 The streets were laid in 1862. Plots were substantially smaller than on the adjacent estate south of Lower Addiscombe Road. First buildings date from between 1862 and 1868, with infill development following later. The area was marketed in the 60’s of C19 as the Addiscombe College Estate. Inglis Road is thought to be named after Colonel John Inglis, who along with James Outram and Henry Havelock played a major role in the relief of Lucknow. Grant, Nicholson, Warren and Hastings were also celebrated officers in the East India Company’s army.
ARCHITECTURE Inglis Road, Nicholson Road and Grant Road contain buildings ranging in size from modest terraced housing to sizeable detached dwellings. Most date from between 1860 and 1910. The gradual development of the area is reflected in the wide variety of architectural styles represented here. These include Victorian terraces with Italianate façades (photo 1.6), Queen Anne revival (photo 1.1), Victorian Aesthetic style (photo 1.2), Classical villas and early vernacular housing.
Materials and features: • Prominent gables, including Dutch gables (photo 1.1) • Bay windows, including double bay windows • Some timber sash windows, stone lintels and polychromatic brick lintels • Decorative wall tiles in entrances, clay tiles on facades (photo 1.1). 1.1 • Recessed entrances, door hoods with decorative plaster work mouldings (photo 1.4) Notable buildings: 173 Lower Addiscombe Road is currently on Croydon’s Local List of Historic Buildings. Numbers 1 & 3 Inglis Road, 181 & 183 Lower Addiscombe Road are particularly well preserved houses with consistent design and authentic features.
TOWNSCAPE There are no distinctive townscape features in the area. 1.2 1.3 1.4 LANDSCAPE There are no distinctive landscape features in the area.
1.4 Negative issues • Insensitively sized roof and side extensions (photo 1.5) • Loss of bay windows and other changes to original window layout • Timber sash windows (including stained glass lights) replaced with uPVC casement windows (photo 1.5, 1.6) • Loss of boundary walls, planting in front gardens removed and replaced with 1.5 1.6 paving to accommodate parking.
13 2. Auckland Road 2.1 Recommendations Current status An area proposed for Local Heritage Area designation during the consultation of the Croydon Local Plan: Detailed Policies - Preferred and Alternative Options, based on its distinctive architectural quality. Criteria conformity The character of Numbers 2 – 76 (even) and 25-39 (odd) Auckland Road and 2-15 Howden Road meets the following criteria of the Local Heritage Area designation • Architectural significance: Numbers 2 – 76 (even) and 25-39 (odd) Auckland Road and 2-15 Howden Road represent good examples of early vernacular houses with well-preserved original Gothic inspired features from 1880’s. Such a level of heritage significance requires recognition and protection which can be achieved by designation as a Local Heritage Area. Recommendation Designate nos. 2-76 (even) and 25-39 Auckland Road and 2-15 Howden Road as a Local Heritage Area.
2.2 Description of the area Auckland Road and Howden Road are located in Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood. They are fine examples of the residential character of Large Houses On Relatively Small Plots that reflect the historic development of this place. Nos. 2 – 76 (even) and 25-39 (odd) Auckland Road, and 2-15 Howden Road form a group of Victorian vernacular style detached and semi-detached houses built in the 1880s, over a short space of time. Although there are slight differences in the way in which the fine decorative details have been applied, the strong consistency in form, materials and plot layout suggest that buildings within this area were part of a single development.
2.3 Assessment Heritage significance Auckland Road was developed from a ‘dusty country lane’ in the years between 1880 and 1885. (“Crystal Palace and Norwood Heights, a pictorial record” by Audrey Hammond and Brian Dann). In the 1850s and 60s there were attempts by developers to turn South Norwood Map 5. Map of the auckland Road and Howden Road area in to a middle class suburb. By 1870 the affluent estate stretched north towards 14 Lancaster Road and along Auckland road to join with Upper Norwood. Due to the similarity in style and materials to the few remaining Victorian villas on Lancaster Road and Warminster Road, it is assumed that the Villas on the southern section of Auckland Rd and Howden Rd are part of the later part of this development. The buildings on Auckland Road and Howden Road are the only significant grouping of houses from the early development of the area that remains. The area reflects a significant period in the development as a middle class suburb during the late 20th Century.
ARCHITECTURE Numbers 2 – 76 (even) and 25-39 (odd) Auckland Road, and 2-15 Howden Road constitute a collection of well-maintained two to three storey semi-detached and detached buildings built during the 1880’s. The houses are in an early Vernacular style and have a strong consistent architectural form that incorporates prominent gables, dormers, tall decorative chimney stacks, projecting bays and porches. An element of individualism has been introduced in to the decorative elements of the design, while working with a consistent palette of materials (including red bricks, terracotta panels, plaster work, clay hanging tiles and timber). Generally the buildings are well preserved and retain original features such as sash windows with stain glass lights and elaborately designed timber fretwork porches. With the exception of changes to the windows, the houses in this area remain 2.1 largely unaltered, and clearly exhibit distinctive architectural features.
Materials and features: • Prominent gables, either timber beamed or with clay hanging tiles, some topped with finials (photo 2.2, 2.4, 2.5) • T all decorative brick chimney stacks and tall clay pots (photo 2.6, 2.11) • Decorative brickwork string courses (photo 2.2, 2.6, 2.7, 2.12) • Timber sash windows some with stained glass lights (photo 2.9) • Bay windows (with square or angled double bays) • Porches with timber fretwork (photo 2.2, 2.7) 2.2 2.3 2.4 • Recessed first floor balconies with timber balustrades (photo 2.1) • Protruding dormer windows (photo 2.8, 2.9) • Ornamental features such as decorative plaster work and terracotta panels • Large stained glass windows on side elevations (photo 2.10). Notable buildings: Collective consistency.
2.5 2.6
15 Nos. 18 & 31 Auckland Road and 121 Auckland Way are particularly well preserved with consistent design and authentic features.
TOWNSCAPE The Auckland Road area is an attractive street with features that are typical of suburban areas in Croydon. This area does not contain distinctive townscape features.
LANDSCAPE The area does not contain distinctive landscape features.
2.4 Negative issues • Painting, pebble dashing and rendering of brick elevations and beamed gables • Loss of boundary walls • Replacement of soft landscaping in front garden with hard landscaping to accommodate parking. • Loss of timber sash windows and replacement with uPVC casement windows • Enclosing porches 2.7 • Unsympathetic front, side and roof extensions • Introduction of mansard roofs • Proliferation of bins in front gardens • Poor maintenance.
2.8 2.9 2.10
2.11 2.12
16 3. Beatrice Avenue 3.1 RECOMMENDATIONS Current status Designated as a Local Area of Special Character in 1992.
Criteria conformity Beatrice Avenue meets the following criteria for Local Heritage Area designation: • Architectural significance: Beatrice Avenue has a range of well-preserved late Victorian early Edwardian suburban houses, with many original and individually designed Arts and Crafts inspired features. Built in a single phase by 1910, the grouping demonstrates consistent local character, with a cohesive quality and historical architectural significance. • Townscape quality: Beatrice Avenue has an attractive yet simple urban composition with views that are terminated by the St Phillip’s Church. Its townscape reveals the historic residential pattern of development and is an good example of urban design from this period. Such a level of heritage significance requires recognition and protection which can be achieved by designation as a Local Heritage Area.
Recommendation Designate Beatrice Avenue as a Local Heritage Area.
3.2 Description of the area Beatrice Avenue is in Norbury (see map 3) and is an example of the predominant local residential character, which is Planned Estates of Semi-detached Houses. Beatrice Avenue is a residential street with a vista terminating on St Philip’s Church, Church Hall and associated grounds with mature trees (photo 1.1). The London Road section of Beatrice Avenue is flanked by Norbury Library which is currently on Croydon’s Local List of Historic Buildings.
3.3 Assessment Heritage significance Beatrice Avenue was laid out in 1894 but the construction of houses did not commence until 1902. By 1910 the church, the front of the existing church hall and the last of the houses were completed. The residential part of the street was designed and laid out as a set piece consisting of a variety of individually designed groupings of buildings which are very distinct from those on the surrounding streets. It represents an exemplary development of Arts and Crafts architecture in Croydon. Map 6. Map of the Beatrice Avenue area
17 ARCHITECTURE Beatrice Avenue is an example of the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement on residential developments in the early 1900s. The semi-detached and terraced houses are consistent in terms of scale and massing, arrangements of front elevations and townscape, yet they differ substantially in terms of their individually designed architectural detailing. All buildings are of a similar height, with a strong horizontal composition articulated by rhythm and layout of bay and decorative windows. Simple pitched roofs are either enriched by front gables or folded into hipped roofs at the ends of terraces. Windows (at the ground floor in particular), have decorative features such as coloured stained glass, patterned mullions and upper window lights (see images 3.3 & 3.6). Decorative elements such as brick patterns contrasting coloured brick, and render are applied to emphasise openings and corners on front façades. The majority of features are individually designed and handcrafted, and are therefore distinctive from the other developments built during this period.
Materials and features Individual groups of buildings have the following special features: • White render façades with a central section on the first floor set back, and projecting porches on frontages (photo 3.5) 3.1 • Distinctive window designs including multi-panel ornate layouts and coloured stained glass (photo 3.2 and 3.3) • Open porches with simple canopies and ornate timber supports • Turreted closed porches with art-deco inspired window designs, open balconies and white timber bracketing above (photo 3.6) 3.2 • Polygonal bay porches with art-deco inspired window designs (photo 3.6) • Oriel windows on a triangular or rectangular plan • Brick chimneys with dentils and original chimney pots (photo 3.4) • Brick two storey bay windows (photo 3.8) 3.3 3.4 • Decorative projecting red brick and roof tile string courses (photo 3.8) • Contrasting red brick banding (photo 3.8) • Timber barge boards and decorative timber finials, • Decorative clay or slate ridge tiles (photo 3.9) • Decorative window surrounds: timber, stucco or brick (photo 3.8) • Imposing brick quoins and slightly projecting striped pilasters in contrasting colour and texture. (photo 3.8) Notable buildings: St Philip’s Church with hall and grounds and Norbury Library is currently on 3.5 3.6 Croydon’s Local List of Historic Buildings.
18 TOWNSCAPE St Phillip’s Church in Beech Road terminates the vista along Beatrice Avenue to the west, creating a sense of enclosure and defining the simple yet elegant townscape composition. The focal point is emphasised by tall, mature trees. Their dark foliage contrasts with paler and more delicate leaves of the street trees. The original boundary treatments consists of low level brick walls with hedges behind them (photo 3.10). Landscaped front gardens also have low level decorative planting (photo 3.7). Some driveways are flanked on both sides with thick and well maintained hedges (photo 3.11).
Distinctive townscape features: • Termination of the vista along Beatrice Avenue to the St Phillip’s Church and the group of mature trees behind it. LANDSCAPE: There are no distinctive landscape features in Beatrice Avenue.
3.4 Negative issues • Loss of soft landscaping in front gardens and transformation into paved driveways • Loss of soft landscaping in front gardens 3.7 • Fragmentation of tree lines: loss of trees, a number of weak and small specimens • The introduction of closed timber board fences as boundary treatments • Loss of original features including clay roof tiles, porches and original timber window frame design replaced with uPVC substitutes of a random design • Poor maintenance of properties • Litter in front gardens
3.9
3.8 3.10
19 4. Bingham Road 4.1 Recommendations Current status Designated as a Local Area of Special Character in 2013.
Criteria conformity The character of Bingham Road area meets the following Criteria for Local Heritage Area designation: • Architectural significance: The Bingham Road area is a collection of well-preserved buildings representing high quality architectural design in an Arts and Crafts style and marking the rapid development of late Victorian early Edwardian Addiscombe. Recommendation Designate Bingham Road area as a Local Heritage Area.
4.2 Description of the area Bingham Road is located in Addiscombe. It is a fine example of the predominant original residential character of this place, which is Planned Estates of Semi- detached Houses. No’s 11-49 (odd) and 10-24 (even) Bingham Road consists of four rows of terraced and semi-detached houses. St Mildred’s Church is a contemporary building and is located to the eastern side of the Bingham Road area. The townscape is heavily affected by loss of trees and the boundary walls to some front gardens.
4.3 Assessment Heritage significance The western section of Bingham Road is one of the earliest sections of large and rapid residential development in Addiscombe. Built between 1890 and 1910, the Arts and Crafts style houses are good examples of late Victorian early Edwardian suburban development, that incorporate a range of distinctive architectural features. They mark the first phase of large scale interwar settlement catalysed by public transport development beginning with horse drawn tram line with a terminus by Bingham Road Bridge.
ARCHITECTURE Bingham Road numbers 10-24 (even) are Arts and Crafts-influenced two storey semi-detached terraces with continuous ground floor bays and porches.They have half-timbered gables incorporating central full height chimney stacks. Opposite is a unified terrace consisting of numbers 11-25 (odd). These are three storey buildings Map 7. Map of the Bingham Road area
20 with aesthetic movement inspired decorations. Numbers 27-49 (odd) are semi- detached houses with projecting half-timbered gables and distinctive entrances flanked by ionic columns represent early vernacular style.
Materials and features: No 10-24 • Large gables with timber boarding and natural clay hanging tiles • Chimneys including plain rendered stacks and a feature red brick stack located centrally on the front façade of each group of four terraces (photo 4.4) • Continuous ground floor bays and porches • Decorative glazing including diamond leading to the front and arched 15 light leaded windows to the side of the building • Original front doors with leaded lights and leaded side and fan lights No 11-25 • Timber sash windows • Ground floor bays with roof that over sail to the entrance to create a porch (photo 4.2) • Decorative mouldings, red brick headers and quoins 4.1 No 27-49 • Porches with slim ionic columns (photo 4.1) • Half-timbered gables with ridge detail and clay finials (photo 4.3) • Porthole side lights, oriel windows, bay windows with tile hangings Notable buildings: St Mildred’s Church by C.G Hare (1931-32) is currently on Croydon’s Local List of Historic Buildings
TOWNSCAPE There are no distinctive townscape features in the Bingham Road area. 4.2 4.3 LANDSCAPE There are no distinctive landscape features in the Bingham Road area.
4.4 Negative issues • Unsympathetic window and door replacements • The over-scaled Pegasus Court development • Loss of front boundary treatments and gardens.
4. 4 4.5
21 5. Birdhurst Road 5.1 Summary Current status Designated as a Local Area of Special Character in 1992.
Criteria conformity The character of Birdhurst Road and Birdhurst Rise meets the following criteria for Local Heritage Area designation: • Architectural significance: Birdhurst Road and Birdhurst Rise have collective value as a group of high quality, well-designed, well-preserved Victorian villas dating from before 1890, with distinctive architectural features. • T ownscape quality: The layout of the Birdhurst Road and Birdhurst Rise is coordinated with the topography of the hillside. There is a distinctive relationship between the mature landscape of the street scene, the design of the buildings, and the street layout. Such a level of heritage significance requires recognition and protection which can be achieved by designation as a Local Heritage Area.
Recommendation Designate Birhurst Road and Birdhurst Rise area as a Local Heritage Area. Exclude No 2a Birdhurst Road (Marlborough Court), No 2-4 Birdhurst Road and Springwood Court from designation as these properties located on the northern boundary of the former Local Area of Special Character do not meet the criteria for Local Heritage Area designation. 5.2 Description of the area The Birdhurst Road and Birdhurst Rise area is located in South Croydon. It is a fine example of the predominant original residential character of this place, which is Large Houses on Relatively Small Plots with some Detached Houses on Relatively Large Plots. The block of streets contains a collection of well-preserved buildings from various architectural periods. The block includes a large number of Victorian villas, four of which are locally listed. The large, imposing and architecturally distinct buildings form the main focal points within the block. 5.3 Assessment
Map 8. Map of the Birdhurst Road area
22 Heritage significance The Birdhurst Road and Birdhurst Rise were laid out before 1880. The area represents a particularly well preserved high quality example of residential development of the Victorian era in South Croydon. In the early 1880’s the Birdhurst Hill Estate was broken up and the land sold off as individual freehold building sites at a series of auctions. The sales particulars of one of the auctions held at The Greyhound Hotel in Croydon in 1880, stressed the proximity of South Croydon Station and stated that “most of the lots occupy an elevated and salubrious position, commanding fine views .... in the vicinity of the delightful walks and drives of the much-admired and rural districts of South Croydon, Coombe, Addington Hills and Croham Hurst.” Birdhurst Road is first mentioned in Ward’s Croydon Street Directory of 1880 and Birdhurst Rise in 1882. Some of the exotic house names recorded in the Directories included Trebartha, Orotava and Kanagawa. Census returns of 1891 indicate that the functioning of most households within the area relied on the services of a cook and a housemaid. The residents of the area included a ‘Tea Dealer and Cocoa Manufacturer’ a ‘Retired Civil Engineer of the Indian Public Works Department’ and a ‘Shirt and Collar Manufacturer’; many were listed as ‘Living on own means’.
ARCHITECTURE 5.1 The area was developed with a mixture of closely spaced detached and semi detached houses with many Gothic and aesthetic style inspired features. Although the houses were built in many styles and in a wide variety of materials, they shared a common scale and were set back a uniform distance from the road. The gardens provided sufficient depth to allow generous planting and street trees provided additional greenery. The majority of properties in the area, built in the late Victorian period, are of high quality and are preserved in much their original condition. Number 11 is centrally located at the fork of the road where Birdhurst Road meets Birdhurst Rise and is an attractive high quality red brick landmark building that sets the tone for the area. The houses in the area are predominantly two to three 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 storeys high and although they were built around the same time, they exhibit a variety of features common to the period including terracotta tile details, decorative porches and ornate roof features. The area’s architecture predominately comprises large buildings with wealth of well-preserved decorative features, set in a mature landscape. The buildings at 2a Birdhurst Road (Marlborough Court), 2-4 and Springwood Court significantly detract from the distinctive character of the area.
Materials and features: • Predominantly yellow stock brickwork with decorative horizontal banding in a contrasting colour (photo 5.1) • Red brick grand Victorian villas located terminate oblique street views at key 5.6 5.7 focal points, they have rectangular turrets some with preserved ornate iron
23 railings on the top (photo 5.3) • Decorative stucco lintels over doorways and windows (photo 5.6 and 5.9) • Porches with decorative timber columns and ironwork tops (photo 5.7) • Bespoke timber barge boards and finials (photo 5.4) • Bay windows contributing to symmetrical façade compositions • Clay decorative panels • Corbelled eaves and chimney stacks (photo 5.8). Notable buildings: 5.8 5.9 Nos. 23, 31, 33, 36 & 38 Birdhurst Rise, No 11 Birdhurst Road are currently on Croydon’s Local List of Historic Buildings. Nos. 47, 49-51 Birdhurst Rise and 12 Birdhurst Road are particularly well preserved with consistent design and authentic features.
TOWNSCAPE The Birdhurst Road area was laid out between 1868 and1890 and remains largely intact. It retains the distinctive triangular block layout in which the two streets meet to form a triangular loop, intersected by a footpath which runs through the centre in a north-west to south-east direction. The gaps between houses and the hillside topography allow for views through green areas beyond each plot. The points of the triangular loop are marked by substantially larger sized plots with distinctive tall and imposing grand Victorian villas that punctuate key viewing lines. The mature landscape in front gardens, combined with grand street trees (photo 5.12), creates the green character and reinforces a sense of rhythm.
Distinctive townscape features: • Feature buildings with turret features that terminate views (photo 5.3) • Triangular piazzas create gateways to the area (photo 5.10). LANDSCAPE There are no distinctive landscape features. 5.10 5.4 Negative issues • In-fill developments of an inappropriate scale and not in keeping with the character of the area • Loss of feature buildings in key locations from a townscape perspective. • Replacement of feature buildings with inappropriate development ignoring townscape composition • Loss of planting in front gardens and of boundary walls • Poor maintenance, inappropriate window replacements, 5.11 5.12
24 6. Bishops Walk area 6.1 Summary Current status Designated as a Local Area of Special Character in 1992.
Criteria conformity The character of Bishop’s Walk meets the following criteria for Local Heritage Area’s designation: • Townscape quality: Bishop’s Walk has a distinctive and historic street layout. The street scene dominated by spacious and mature planting. • Landscape quality: The mature landscaping of Bishop’s Walk partly reveals the historic design of Addington Park before development. The high quality integration between the topography, planting and built environment, delivers scenic views from inside and outside of the area. Such a level of heritage significance requires recognition and protection which can be achieved through designation as Local Heritage Area.
Recommendation Designate Bishop’s Walk as a Local Heritage Area.
6.2 Description of the area The Bishop’s Walk area includes Pine Coombe, Birch Hill, Sprucedale Gardens and part of Shirley Hills Road and is in Shirley. It is a fine example of residential character of Low Density, Scattered Houses on Large Plots which reveals the historical development of this place. The area is a collection of large individually designed houses built predominantly in the 1930’s and 40’s integrated within the mature landscape and varied topography. The houses are set in well landscaped grounds with hedges defining the front boundaries, giving the roads a rural like quality.
6.3 Assessment Heritage significance Bishop’s Walk historically formed the principal drive to Addington Palace from the north. It is an integral component of Addington Park’s landscape which is a Registered Historic Park. The park area was initially designed by Capability Brown around 1780 and developed by successive Archibishops of Canterbury. Mature planting incorporated into private gardens and the road layout as recorded in the first edition survey in 1867 are the main preserved elements. Map 9. Map of the Bishops Walk area
25 Part of the old Addington Park was sold to the Addington Golf Club and most of the remaining land to Addington Palace Golf Club in 1913. The Addington Golf Course was Laid out in 1914 and the other parts of the original manorial park have since been sold for housing. The first residential developments, along Bishop’s Walk, Upper Shirley Road and the newly laid Pine Coombe and Birch Hill, were laid out in the 1920’s and have been developed since then.
ARCHITECTURE The area is a self-contained group of roads consisting of a combination of culs-de- sacs. The houses are well-maintained, built in various architectural periods and are of varying design quality. There are many good quality examples of domestic architecture dating from the 1930’s to the present day, but there is no particular period or set of features that clearly characterises the area (photo 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.9, 4.10).
Notable buildings: Treetops, Casablanca and Normanhurst in the northern section of Upper Shirley Road are currently on Croydon’s Local List of Historic Buildings.
TOWNSCAPE The organic street layout of the Bishop’s Walk area is well integrated with the topography and mature landscape. It developed gradually along the historic drive 6.1 to Addington Palace. The street scene is composed from mature plants, soft edges and the organic shape of roads climbing and descending the hills. The houses are set deep inside the plots, with limited presence in oblique views (photo 4.2, . Boundaries are predominantly naturally formed by the vegetation.
Distinctive townscape features: • Organic street layout corresponding with the topography (photo 4.1) • Minimal hardscaping of streets, soft landscape of sideways: lawn, gravel, natural woodland mulch (photo 4.2) • Carriageways shared by vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, no formal footways (photo 4.2) 6. 2 6. 3 • Edge of the carriageway marked by painted stones (photo 4.1) • Large mature trees in the central point of the cul-se-sac turning areas which terminate street’s vista (photo 4.1) LANDSCAPE The rich and mature landscape of the Bishop’s Walk area, predominantly formed in a natural way, is an integral part of the local character. Mature trees, particularly in the southern section of the area are part of the historic landscape. The historic designed parkland with its loose scatter of mature trees has been preserved to some degree and resulted from self-regeneration along Bishop’s Walk, Birch Hill and Pine Coombe. 6. 4 6. 5
26 The eastern section of Bishop’s Walk, Pine Coombe, Birch Hill, and Sprucedale Gardens have a more secluded character. Streets have a character of sunken lanes, with buildings predominantly in elevated positions to them. The western section of Bishop’s Walk is more spacious with no tree lines and less well-integrated development. The western section is more exposed and lacks the picturesque feel of the other drives, where buildings and layout complement each other. At the same time Bishop’s Walk provides a series of scenic views between and over some southern buildings. The crossing with the Addington Golf Course is marked by the wide visual opening to the Grade II listed Addington Palace and Addington Park with long views towards New Addington.
High quality extent landscape features: • Rich undulating topography • Mature tree lines and tree groupings of pine and other acid tolerant species • Mature hedges formed by a variety of plants including decorative Rhododendrons (photo 4.1, 4.2, 4.7, 4.10) • Large proportion of lawn in the front gardens (photo 4.3) • Organic, natural layout of decorative planting (Photo 4.5) • Glimpses over the buildings and mature planting towards green hills and New Addington 6. 6 • Wide view openings over the Addiscombe Golf Course towards Addington Palace and Addington Hills (photo 4.6). 6.4 Negative issues • Redevelopments, clearance of landscape and use of poor quality materials • Bollard features on the carriageway • Extensive hard surfacing • Loss of trees, mature trees in particular.
6. 7 6. 8
6. 9 6. 10
27 7. Brighton Road 7.1 Summary Current status Designated as a Local Area of Special Character in 1992.
Criteria conformity The character of the Brighton Road area in Purley District Centre, meets the following Criteria for Local Heritage Area designation: • Architectural significance: The Brighton Road and High Street area in Purley represents a well- preserved collection of shopping parade buildings dating from between the late 19th and late 20th Century. The quality of architectural detailing and the variety of styles including Victorian Mock Tudor and Art Deco inspired features creates a parade of imposing buildings. The area is distinctive and retains the historic pattern of development. Such a level of heritage significance requires recognition and protection which can be achieved by designation as a Local Heritage Area.
Recommendation Designate Brighton Road area in the Purley District Centre as a Local Heritage Area. Consider including the Tudor Court (from 1930’s) which was constructed as part of the same phase of development. These buildings have a consistent quality, style and townscape with the sections of Brighton Road proposed for Local Heritage Area designation.
7.2 Description of the area The Brighton Road area is located in the Purley District Centre. It is a fine example of the predominant historical character of this place, which is an Urban Shopping Area. The area includes busy through routes of Brighton Road and Purley Road and a quieter and more intimate High Street with a pedestrianised square at the northern entrance. All streets within the area contain groups of historical buildings representing a diversity of architectural styles, bespoke design and well-preserved features. These are mostly three to four storey blocks with active shop frontages, the majority have gabled frontages.
Map 10. Map of the Brighton Road area
28 7.3 Assessment Heritage significance Purley grew in the early years of the 20th Century from a village into a thriving shopping centre. An improved railway service opened up this previously rural area for housing development. The steep sides of the wooded valley were studded with large houses. Shops were created in the vicinity of the station and along the main through routes (Brighton Road and High Street) to cater for the affluent community of Purley. Brighton Road and Russell Hill Road were originally lined with houses. In 1900 there were just seven shops in the High Street and only one on Brighton Road, but by the outbreak of Second World War the numbers had increased to 59 and 62 respectively. The developer, J.P. Oldaker was responsible for building many of the parades in Purley Centre, including the three terraces, whose names Mafeking, Kimberley and Pretoria recall the Boer Wars. These early terraces and the Bank Buildings (No 914-958 Brighton Road), were composed of shops with living accommodation for the owner attached. Later parades were built as lockup shops with separate flats above them.
ARCHITECTURE Shopping parades in the Purley District Centre represent a mixture of building 7.1 styles in the area including mock Tudor with half timbering and Dutch style influences, Victorian Aesthetic style and Art Deco inspired design. The typical Mock Tudor parades have shop frontages on the ground floor with exposed bricks on the first floor and Mock Tudor timbering above. Victorian Aesthetic style inspired buildings such as no. 980 Brighton Road which is currently on Croydon’s Local List of Historic Buildings, has mixed stone and brick elevations with geometric stone window dressings (photo 7.x) and stone clad ground floors (photo 7.1).
Materials and features: No 909 - 921, 927, 914-958 Brighton Road: • Mock Tudor half timbering, sometimes with the first floor clad with red brick 7. 2 7. 3 7. 4 (photos 7.6, 7.7 & 7.10) • Decorative ridge tiles and ceramic finials (photos 7.2-7.4) • Oriel & bay windows on trapezoid footprint (photos 7.6-7.7) • Ornate ironwork balustrades (see photo 7.2) • Shop fronts framed by pilasters, corbels and ceramic tiles.
7. 5 7. 6
29 No 933 - 947 (Pretoria Terrace), No 949-959 (Kimberley Terrace): •E xposed red brick used decoratively in rendered walls as window dressings (photos 7.2, 7.3, 7.4) • Elaborate gable designs with red brick features or exposed timber frames and barge boards (photos 7.1, 7.6, 7.7 & 7.12) • Dentils (photos 7.5, 7.7 & 7.11). No 908-912 Brighton Road: • Large rectangular windows with geometric stone dressings. • Double height dormers cutting trough eaves (photo 7.5). No 960 Brighton Road: • Elaborate chimneys with clay chimney pots or ornate masonry (photo 7.1) • Stone quoins, window dressings and string courses (photo 7.1) • Timber four light sash windows with stone surrounds and mullions (photo 7.1). Notable buildings: No. 960 Brighton Road and nos. 1-13 High Street are currently on Croydon’s Local List of Historic Buildings.
Grade II listed Purley United Reformed Church built as the Congregational Church 7. 7 in 1903-1905, to the designs of Hamden W. Pratt, a fine example of Edwardian church architecture inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement.
TOWNSCAPE There are no distinctive townscape features in the area.
LANDSCAPE There are no distinctive landscape features in the area.
7.4 Negative issues • Cluttered streetscape due to satellite dishes, sandwich boards and shop front signage 7. 8 7. 9 7. 10 • Loss of original features such as timber windows and fascias, and that are unsympathetic in terms of design and materials • Unsympathetic shop front alterations such as imposing fascia designs and a proliferation of advertising and stickers in windows.
7. 11 7. 12
30 8. Campden Road and Spencer Road 8.1 Summary Current status Designated as a Local Area of Special Character in 2013. Criteria conformity The character of the Campden Road and Spencer Road area in South Croydon, meets the following Criteria for Local Heritage Area designation: • Architectural significance: The Campden Road and Spencer Road area contains a number of well-preserved individual Victorian villas dating from before 1890, with distinctive architectural features all of which have been recognised and are designated as locally listed buildings. Such a level of heritage significance requires recognition and protection which can be achieved by designation as a Local Heritage Area.
Recommendation Designate the Campden Road and Spencer Road area as a Local Heritage Area.
8.2 Description of the area The Campden Road and Spencer Road Area is in South Croydon. The area which also includes Croham Road is a fine example of the predominant historical residential character which is Large Houses on Relatively Small Plots. The area contains a group of 23 well-preserved distinctive Victorian villas included in the Croydon’s Local List of Historic Buildings; and a number of 20th Century infill buildings representing a diversity of styles, scale and quality. The area is located on a hillside, providing scenic views over South Croydon. The layout includes a pedestrian path that connects the area with South Croydon Railway Station and Birdhurst Road.
8.3 Assessment Heritage significance The Campden Road and Spencer Road area was developed pre-1910. The arrangement of streets forms a coherent area of housing, built to a high quality in a relatively short space of time. This is demonstrated on the 1880 map which shows an area largely identical to the one seen today.
Map 11. Map of the Campden Road and Spencer Road area
31 ARCHITECTURE Buildings along Campden Road, Spencer Road and Croham Road are predominantly three storey detached and semi-detached houses with roof accommodation. They are mixed with later buildings of varying design quality and conditions predominantly built in an early vernacular style. The historic houses, rich in architectural detailing, incorporate decorative features such as timber fretwork barge boards, clay tile hangings, timber weatherboarding and stud work, stone or contrasting brick lintels above bay windows and ornate porch entrances.
Materials and features: • Asymmetrical composition of front elevations with ornate porches, entrances and barge boards (photo 8.5) • Two storey bay windows or double bay windows on the ground floor (photo 8.5) • First floor balconies over bay windows or porches (photo 8.5) • Prominent gable ends, contributing to a distinctive rhythm of gables with finials on buildings along both sides of Campden Road (photo 8.6) • Decorative brick work, terracotta ridge tiles, polychromatic roof tiles, and stained glass windows. (photo 8.x) • Doors accentuated with door hoods, timber porches or canopies with 8.1 decorative timber supports (photo 8.2) • Large windows, some with decorative upper lights (photo 8.2, 8.5 & 8.6) Notable buildings: Croydon’s Local List of Historic Buildings: Nos.5, 7, 9-10, 12,13 -15, 22 & 24 Campden Road. Nos 46, 94 Campden Road are located just outside of the proposed LHA. Nos 1-4, 8, 10-12, 17, 23-25 Spencer Road & Nos. 49–51 Croham Road.
TOWNSCAPE The layout of the area is based on two streets intersected by a footpath which runs through the centre in a north-west to south-east direction. The gaps between 8. 2 8. 3 4 houses and the hillside topography allow for views through green areas beyond each plot.
LANDSCAPE There are no distinct landscape features in the area.
8.4 Negative issues • Unsympathetically designed and scaled infill buildings e.g. no. 20 Spencer Road, Transformation of front gardens into paved driveways. • Poor quality and insensitive replacements such as windows, front boundaries 8. 6 and architectural detailing, poor maintenance resulting in loss of decorative 8. 5 features. 32 CHIPSTEAD VALLEY ROAD (COULSDON)
9. Chipstead Valley Road Saint Dunstan’s Cottages
9.1 Summary Current status Designated as a Local Area of Special Character in 2013.
Criteria conformity The character of St Dunstan’s Cottages meets the following criteria for Local Heritage Area designation: • Architectural significance: St Dunstan Cottages contain distinctive and well preserved workers homes from the 1900’s. • T ownscape quality: the location of Surrey Iron Railway is observed by the layout of St Dunstan’s Cottages. Such a level of heritage significance requires recognition and protection which can be achieved through designation as a Local Heritage Area.
Recommendation Designate St Dunstan’s Cottages as a Local Heritage Area.
9.2 Description of the area The St Dunstan’s Cottages are at Chipstead Valley Road in Coulsdon. They are an example of the historic residential character in this area, which is Terraced Houses and Cottages. There are a pair of late 19th Century worker’s terraces of simple design and modest character with a mid 20th Century terrace between them and the two other Victorian houses to the rear.
9.3 Assessment Heritage significance The cottages are grouped in three separate sections with an infill section, where a group of 1960s terraced houses were built, on the site of the historic Croydon, Merstham and Godstone Iron Railway; which was noted as being the first iron railway to carry passengers. The infill section formed the final part of the route which included a horse shoe bridge leading to the embankment of the Scheduled Ancient Monument on Cane Hill. Nos. 1 and 2 Well Cottages sited to the rear of St Dunstan’s Cottages are thought to have links with the site of a former laundry (photo 9.2, 9.5). Map 12. Map of the St Dunstan’s Cottages area
33 ARCHITECTURE This Victorian terrace consists of twenty three small two storey plain Victorian cottages built in approximately 1900 with a uniform design and character. The flat fronted houses are modestly designed with alternating dormer and gable features, paired sash windows and arched recessed doorways. Although some of the windows have been replaced, this has not harmed the rhythm and unity of the terraces. The architectural design of the terrace is distinctive in the borough context. Materials and features: • London stock brick with contrasting brick arches over windows and doors (photo 9.1) • Red brick dressing below eaves, chimney stacks with red brick banding (photo 9.1, 9.4) • Plain natural slate roof tiles with plain slate ridge tiles (photo 9.1 & 9.4) • Boundary walls and tall piers at gate entrances and shorter piers between properties all with cap stones and constructed from stone (photo 9.1) • Front doors and ground floor windows with contrasting brick lintels (photo 9.1& 9.4-9.5). TOWNSCAPE Although the embankment of the former railway has been in filled with 1980s 9.1 housing, their plot layout, including the setback of the buildings and the separation from the cottages, ensures that the location of the former railway remains clearly identifiable. The cottages are part of a single uniformly designed development with a highly consistent layout of narrow-fronted properties set in long narrow plots, while the compact front gardens along with narrow footways reinforce the small scale and modest quality of this section of the street.
Distinctive townscape features: • The layout of the area demonstrates the historic link to the Surrey Iron Railway (photo 9.6). LANDSCAPE 9.2 9.3 9.4 There are no distinctive landscape features of the area.
9.4 Negative issues • Replacement timber sash windows with uPVC casement windows • Replacement doors with uPVC , introduction of porches • Poor maintenance • Loss of boundary walls and planting within front gardens.
9.5 9.6
34 10. Henderson Road 10.1 Summary Current status Designated as a Local Area of Special Character in 2013.
Criteria conformity The character of the Henderson Road area meets the following criteria for Local Heritage Area designation: • Architectural significance: The Henderson Road area represents a collective value of an exceptionally well-preserved terrace of small Victorian maisonettes from the late 19th Century. • T ownscape quality: The block of streets between Henderson Road and Princess Road together with the prominent row of mature trees on the southern side and the associated Whitehorse Road Recreational Ground, which is on Croydon’s Local List of Historic Parks and Gardens; reveal a distinctive, high quality and well preserved historic layout of a late Victorian high density suburban residential development. Such level of heritage significance requires recognition and protection which can be achieved by designation as a Local Heritage Area.
Recommendation Designate Henderson Road area as a Local Heritage Area.
10.2 Description of the area Henderson Road is in Broad Green and Selhurst and is an example of the predominant historical residential character of this place, which is Terraced Houses and Cottages. The area consists of a group of small maisonettes with red brick façades, enclosed between Henderson Road and Princess Road. It is preserved in its original condition with no major alterations marring the architectural and urban design concepts.
10.3 Assessment HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE The Henderson Road area dates from 1895. It is an example of a modest Victorian residential development that doubles the population density without affecting the character of the area. The Whitehorse Road Recreation Ground was an integral part of the development, arranged on the site acquired by the Croydon Corporation in 1888 as an informal play area for local children. Map 13. Map of the Henderson Road area
35 ARCHITECTURE The buildings between Henderson Road and Princess Road form a terrace of simple Victorian maisonettes. Recessed entrances reveal double doors. Their modest design is reflected in the use of structural architectural detailing for decoration such as lintels, window sills, rhythm of fenestration and projecting partition walls above the slate roofs. All windows are of the same size, with an elegant vertical shape. They are grouped in an alternating rhythm of single windows and groups of two. Rear elevations have a similar rhythm and simplicity with red brick gables, narrow windows and slender external staircases providing access to the garden. The houses, built in 1895 are well maintained and retain all their original features as well as their unity and rhythm to the front and rear. Most of the windows have been replaced with uPVC , predominantly in the same design as the originals.
Materials and features: • Red brick façades decorated with thick precast white lintels and window sills • Recessed entrances framed by brick lintels with decorative white key stones (photo 10.3) • Brickwork based decorations (photo 10.1,10.3) • Strong rhythm of gables to the rear (photo 10.8). 10.1 TOWNSCAPE The streets were laid out as part of the wider development of the area. The development included the adjacent Whitehorse Road Recreational Ground, which provides an opening to the street frontage. The recreation ground is marked by a line of mature poplars. In the street context, trees play an important role in reinforcing the sense of enclosure between the houses and the green open spaces. They create a sense of rhythm to the buildings that terminate the street. Nos. 18 and 19 terminate the vista along Henderson Road. The gable end of the Henderson Road terrace terminates views from Amersham Road.
Similarly the Princess Road frontage is arranged in a similar way to Henderson 10.2 10. 3 Road, with the principle of a strong building line on one side of the street and an opening to the green space of the cemetery with a strong tree line on the other. Both green spaces, Queen’s Road Cemetery and Whitehorse Road Recreational Ground, are on the Local List of Historic Parks and Gardens. The interior contains rear gardens framed by the imposing rhythm of gables. A narrow pedestrian path cuts through the block providing access to rear gardens and a shortcut to other houses located along Princess Road. Two particularly large mature and healthy trees constitute focal points to the garden area. Footways are very narrow and directly adjacent to building frontages along Henderson Road. Due to the level difference between the street and ground level 10.4 10.5 10.6 floor, the Princess Road frontage is below the carriage way level.
36 Distinctive townscape features: • Visual and physical opening of the southern side of Henderson Road towards the Whitehorse Road Recreational Ground (photo 10.1, 10.7) • Numbers 18-19 terminating the vista along Henderson Road (photo 10.7) • Strong tree line of mature trees forming street frontages opposite the row of terraced maisonettes (photo 10.1, 10.7) • Two distinctive and prominent mature trees set in the green centre of the rear garden area (photo 10.8). 10.7
LANDSCAPE There is no landscaping in the street scene at the front of buildings along Henderson Road nor Princess Road. The views into rear gardens and adjacent green open spaces give a breath to otherwise a tight urban fabric. The Whitehorse Road Recreational Ground and The Queen’s Cemetery are an integral element of the original plan, typical for other suburban locations and supporting the suburban way of life in late Victorian times.
High quality extent landscape features: • Prominent mature trees along Henderson Road mark the boundary between the Whitehorse Road Recreational Ground and the houses (photo 10.1, 10.8 10.9 10.7) • Rear gardens are rich in vegetation, with a mature signature tree with a large crown in the centre, which terminates the vista from Amersham Road (photo 10.8, 10.10). 10.4 Negative issues • Poor maintenance • Refuse bins on the street scene.
10.10
37 11. ingatestone Road & Brocklesby Road 11.1 Summary Current status Designated as a Local Area of Special Character in 2013.
Criteria conformity The character of the Ingatestone Road area meets the following criteria for Local Heritage Area designation: • Architectural significance: The Ingatestone Road and Brocklesby Road area represents a fine example of high density Edwardian development with unique features such as balconies with ornate ironwork, exposed red brick cladding with elaborate white stucco decorations, projecting porches with balconies above on Brocklesby Road and recessed entrances and balconies on Ingatestone Road. Such a level of heritage significance requires recognition and protection which can be achieved by designation as a Local Heritage Area.
Recommendation Designate Ingatestone Road and Brocklesby Road as a Local Heritage Area.
11.2 Description of the area Ingatestone Road and Brocklesby Road are in South Norwood and Woodside. The area is an example of the predominant original residential character which is Terraced Houses and Cottages. Ingatestone Road and Brocklesby Road are formed of two connecting culs-de-sac of small Edwardian terraces with a classical influenced design. The streets are architecturally distinctive from the surrounding area. The frontages on Ingatestone Road terminate the view from Portland Road.
11.3 Assessment Heritage significance Ingatestone Road and Brocklesby Road, together with nearby Notston Road, Aylet Road and Belfast Road is in the zone between the oldest urban fabric which was developed in 1870’s along Portland Road, and the areas laid out and delivered as a single phase of development at the beginning of the 20th Century. These streets
Map 14. Map of the Ingatestone Road area
38 mark the beginning of an important stage in the development of South Norwood. The street layout evolved from the relatively spacious and organic Victorian plan to a more rigid and tight-knit one of post 1910 development.
ARCHITECTURE The Ingatestone Road Area contains small Edwardian terraces, with predominantly exposed red brick façades and a well-articulated horizontal composition emphasised by string courses between storeys and dentils under eaves. Continuous clay tile roofs are broken into sections by projected partition walls with ceramic coping, and red multi-stock brick chimneys with plain red brick banding (photo 11.3). The buildings on Ingatestone Road are double fronted maisonettes with square rendered very shallow bays (photo 11.1, 11.5). They have either balconies running the length of the terrace, or recessed balconies above the door. The ornate ironwork balustrades and continuous balconies are features which distinguish this street from others in the area. Although some of the buildings have been altered, the retention of many of the highly decorative features on these buildings makes this group of terraces worthy of preservation. Although many of the buildings on Brocklesby Road have been significantly altered and many of the original features have been lost, the projecting entrances 11.1 beneath balconies with ornate ironwork gives this street a distinctive character. Although some of the balconies are in poor condition, this does not detract from the distinctiveness and heritage significance of this street.
Materials and features: • Balconies with ornate ironwork (photo 11.1, 11.2, 11.5, 11.6, 11.7, 11.10) • Colour brick details such as string courses, quoins & dentils (photo 11.7) • Decorative stone hood moulding which stops at the first floor (photo1.6, 1 11.9) • Decorative bay windows at the ground floor with red brick lintels above which are plaster segmental pediments (photo 11.8, 11.9) 11.2 11.3 11.4 • Red multi-stock brick chimneys with plain red brick banding (photo 11.3) • Large, six light casement windows on Brocklesby Road (photo 11.7).
TOWNSCAPE Ingatestone Road and Brocklesby Road are located in the transition zone between the irregular street layout of 19th Century suburban South Norwood, and the rigid grid of its early 20th Century expansion. The eastern frontage of Ingatestone Road terminates the view from Portland Road. 11.5 11.6
39 Both streets are laid out to form very tight cul-de-sacs. Properties on Brocklesby Road have uncharacteristically small front gardens that extend across the ground floor window but exclude entrances which lead directly on to footways, however most of these front gardens have been lost. By contrast buildings on Ingatestone Road have larger front gardens which incorporate entrances. Although some still have front gardens marked by dwarf brick walls, the majority of these have also been lost.
Distinctive townscape features: • Termination of vista from Portland Road on the eastern elevation of Ingatestone Road • Termination of vista down Ingatestone Road on the western elevation of the Ingatestone Road terrace (photo 11.5) • Cul-de-sac arrangements within a tight grid of streets. LANDSCAPE There are no distinctive landscape features of the Ingatestone Road area.
11.4 Negative issues • Loss of front boundary treatments to the majority of proprieties • Proliferation of bins to the front of properties 11.7 • Loss of original timber windows and doors and replacement with uPVC of a different design • Loss of tiled pathways at entrances, and replaced with concrete • Satellite dishes on front elevations • Painting over decorative features, including the application of new colours, for example pink on ironwork, stucco features in the colour of wall paints • Loss of decorative features such as keystones, heads & lintels • Poor maintenance • Fly-tipping. 11.8
11.9 11.10
40 12. Laud Street Area 12.1 Summary Current status Designated as a Local Area of Special Character in 2013.
Criteria conformity The character of the Laud Street area meets the following criteria for Local Heritage Area designation: • Architectural significance: The Laud Street area contains a collection of well-preserved Victorian terraces from the second half of the 19th Century, which are distinct from the surrounding areas. The setting is well-preserved and most of the original features are intact. • Townscape quality: The Laud Street area is a well preserved part of Croydon’s Victorian Old Town dating from before 1868, with its original layout intact. Such a level of heritage significance requires recognition which can be achieved by designation as a Local Heritage Area.
Recommendation Designate Laud Street area as a Local Heritage Area.
12.2 Description of the area The Laud Street area is in Croydon and is an example of the historic residential character of this place which is ‘Terraced houses and cottages’. The Laud Street area is comprised of seven residential streets, Sheldon St, Laud St, Queen St, West St, Church Rd, Wandle Rd and parts of Meadow Style. There are seven buildings on the Croydon’s Local List of Historic Buildings within this area. Buildings on Wandle Road and Lower Coombe Street are larger in scale and are more varied in style than the relatively uniform small terraces in the rest of the area. The Wandle Road and Laud Street townscape has a more domestic feel due to the presence of relatively well-maintained small front gardens.
12.3 Assessment Heritage significance The Laud Street area is a well preserved part of Croydon’s Victorian Old Town. All of the streets in the area are extremely well preserved and retain the overall scale, building layout and street alignment from 1865.
Map 15. Map of the Laud Street area
41 ARCHITECTURE The Laud Street area contains a wide variety of neo-classical Victorian buildings. The majority of the buildings date from 1860 as identified by several date stones on the buildings. Houses range from modest red or London Stock brick terraced cottages, to rendered or stuccoed semi-detached houses with decorative features, as well as some detached examples. Typically houses in this area incorporate a range of features such as arched doorways with recessed entrances, decorative door cases with engaged columns, porches, bay windows and a few gables with decorative timber barge boards.
Materials and Features: • Entrances with porches, arched doorways with recessed and decorative door cases, with broken pediments above engaged columns (photo 12.1, 12.3) • Stone dressings, window surrounds with console brackets (photo 12.1, 12.3) • Red brick details, carved date stones. Notable Buildings: Surrey Cricketers Public House 22-23 West Street, Elim Cottage West Street, Providence Chapel West Street, nos. 45-46 Wandle Road, Bulls Head Public House no. 39 Wandle Road and the The Royal Standard Public House Laud Street are currently on Croydon’s Local List of Historic Buildings. 12.1 TOWNSCAPE The layout of the Laud Street area is based on a regular grid of streets and plots. The importance of the main through routes, Wandle Road and West Street, is reflected in the larger scale of the buildings there (photo 12.5). Short internal streets have a much more domestic feel created by regular rows of Victorian terraces and cottages. Public buildings such as public houses and chapels mark major corners of the grid (photo 12.2). In contrast to the high-rise and denser urban form of the adjacent town centre, the Laud Street area retains the overall scale, building layout and street alignment of its original pre 1865 Victorian layout.
Distinctive townscape features: 12.2 12.3 • Hierarchy of streets reflected in scale of buildings • Major historic street junctions marked by bespoke designed civic buildings. LANDSCAPE There are no distinctive landscape features in the area.
12.4 Negative issues • Poor maintenance and buildings in a poor state of repair, • Pebble dash cladding, satellite dishes at the front of buildings • Timber sash windows replaced with uPVC casement windows • Removal of front porches or unsympathetic replacements including doors 12.4 12.5 • Loss of boundary walls. 42 13. London Road (BROAD GREEN) 13.1 Summary Current status Designated as a Local Area of Special Character in 1992.
Criteria conformity The character of the London Road area meets the following criteria for Local Heritage Area designation: • Architectural significance: The grouping of Nos. 206-254 London Road represents a unique example of a shopping parade from the beginning of 20th Century with Arts and Crafts inspired detailing such as white rendered elevations ornate plaster mouldings, brick arches, black iron railings, and bow and corner windows. Such a level of heritage significance requires recognition and protection which can be achieved through designation as a Local Heritage Area.
Recommendation Designate London Road area as a Local Heritage Area. The boundaries of the proposed LHA should exclude a section of the former Local Area of Special Character which was destroyed and is awaiting re-development.
13.2 Description of the area The London Road area is in Broad Green and Selhurst and is an example of the historic character of this place, which is Urban Shopping Area. 206-272 London Road, also called Royal Mansions, form a single street frontage of two and three storey shopping parades. They are built in an innovative style with Arts and Crafts inspired details. Part of the mansions, which included Croydon’s Local List of Historic Buildings, was demolished in 2011 and awaits re-development.
13.3 Assessment Heritage significance The Royal Mansions were named in honour of the coronation of King Edward VII. They consist of lock-up shops with flats above and date from 1902.They were built on the edge of the former Broadgreen Place estate which was sold for development in 1900. Hathaway Road and Nova Road which bisect Royal Parade were also built on the estate and date from the same period. The streets were laid out in 1900 and the houses built in 1902. Towards the end of the 19th Century, London Road lost its Map 16. Map of the London Road area
43 residential character and became increasingly commercial whilst land to the rear of the shops was developed for housing.
ARCHITECTURE Nos. 206-272 London Road are built in a highly decorative and elaborately detailed Arts and Crafts inspired style. The elevations are rendered, with brick arch details over first floor windows. Gable end features, bow and corner windows, metal balconies and leaded light windows with coloured inserts all combine to create an unusual and attractive terrace. Some of the original windows have been replaced but the unity of the terrace is not destroyed due to the quality of the remaining elaborate architectural features. The terrace is an unusually good quality example of elements of the Arts and Crafts style introduced into a shopping street.
Materials and features: • Prominent highly decorative gable ends (photo 13.5) • White rendered elevations • Black iron balconies / balustrades (photo 13.1) • Bow and corner timber casement windows with stain glass lights (photo 13.6) • Brick and stone window surrounds with decorative brick and stone arches 13.1 with keystones (photo 13.3) • Decorative door hood mouldings and ionic columns (photo 13.4) • Ornate plaster mouldings. Notable buildings: No. 222 has original black timber windows and shop front details.
TOWNSCAPE The groupings have a symmetrical composition with the larger building in the centre; however the demolition of 272-256 has significantly affected the unity of the terrace. There is no longer a strong focal point or narrative to the townscape (photo 13.2). 13.2 13.3 13.4
LANDSCAPE There are no distinctive landscape features of the London Road area.
13.4 Negative issues • Due to fire damage numbers 272 – 256 were demolished • Unsympathetic uPVC window replacements • Poor maintenance, painting of original features in garish and unsympathetic colours • Loss of detailing on decorative mouldings 13.5 13.6 • Street clutter 44 14. London Road (Norbury) 14.1 Summary Current status Designated as a Saint Helen’s Road Local Area of Special Character in 1992.
Criteria conformity The character of the St Helen’s Road area meets the following criteria for Local Heritage Area designation: • Architectural significance:The shopping parades on London Road represent a high quality cross-section of architectural styles from the second half of the 19th Century, with shop fronts at ground floor level with a unified form and red brick gabled façades with decorative brick and sandstone features above that create a sense of rhythm. • Townscape significance: The triangular green open space with mature trees on St Helen’s Road represents a good quality historic urban design supporting the quality of living environment and visual amenity of the High Street. The square preserved its original layout as set out in C19 Such a level of heritage significance requires recognition and protection which can be achieved through designation as a Local Heritage Area.
Recommendation Designate a section of London Road in Norbury as a Local Heritage Area. Consider excluding areas of low heritage significance from the designation and including important reminiscences of the original Victorian villas and a Telephone Exchange, both marking important milestones in the development og the area.
14.2 Description of the area The London Road (Norbury) area, which consists of sections of London Road, St Helen’s Road and Norbury Crescent, is located in Norbury. They represent a combination of the historic character types in the area, which are urban shopping areas, large houses on relatively small plots and planned estates of semi-detached houses. The area includes two sections: Norbury’s High Street which has a collection of prominent one to four storey buildings and St Helen’s Road which includes a residential buildings around a triangular green with mature trees. The quality of the architecture and the condition of buildings are fragmented. The finest examples are located along London Road, include a Grade II listed and 11 locally Map 17. Map of the St Helen’s area listed buildings. 45 14.3 Assessment Heritage significance The junction of London Road and St Helen’s Road was the first area to be developed in Norbury. Four Victorian villas and three semi-detached Victorian houses with unique Dutch gable frontages were built around 1890. London Road and the remaining development along St Helen’s Road, St Helen’s Crescent and Melfort Road, including a green triangular open space, date from around 1900. The shopping parades along London Road were completed in the 1920s and 1930s.
ARCHITECTURE The shopping parades on London Road were built in a variety of architectural styles with a unified and continuous rhythm of shop fronts at ground floor level and red brick façades with decorative sandstone elements above. They are predominantly three and four storeys with active shop frontages on the ground floor, (some with original features). The shopping parades are largely consistent and imposing with high quality features.
Materials and Features: The Queen Anne Style: Numbers 1148-1462, 1414 - 1432, 1434 (Grade II listed), Numbers 1383- 1391 London Road • Gabled roofs with barge boards and half-timbering 14.1 • Symmetrically designed buildings create a sense of rhythm in the parades • Windows have a two or three tier vertical hierarchy that is reflected in size, shape, grouping and decoration of openings, including large semi-circular windows and triforium inspired groupings (photo 14.5) • Windows with sandstone dressing and lintels extending to string courses in a contrasting colour and/or texture on front façades • Decorations incorporating projecting brick pilasters • Buildings with a combination of brick arches and projecting cornices above contrasting coloured brick arches (photo 14.1) 14.2 14.3 14.4 • Side and rear elevations of London yellow stock brick, with red brick string courses that mark each storey and create horizontal lines that relate to the position of windows and doors (photo 14.1) • Shop fronts are predominantly flushed with façade and fascias (photo 14.1).
14.5 14.6
46 Vernacular: Numbers 1443 – 1489, 1384 – 1410, 1374 London Road • A combination of two storey buildings consisting of a single storey flat-roof shop at ground floor with residential above (photo 14.8) • Residential upper floors are set back by about two metres from the footways, allowing for terraces to be incorporated above the shops • A combination of mock Tudor décor with Gothic features • Highly decorative window frames with stucco lintels, and pilasters with Corinthian-inspired heads. Neo-Georgian: Numbers 1433, 1411-1423 London Road •N o 1433: hipped roofs with deep projecting eaves and white dentils, multi- light neo-Georgian sash windows, ground floors distinguished by thick decorative stone cornice running over the windows and rusticated brick pilasters, protruding wing features on each side of the building’s frontage on the corner (photo 14.1) • Numbers 1411-1423 is a parade of shops with residential accommodation above designed as a single building with well pronounced projecting wings and a central section set back from the continuous building line at the ground floor, decorative brick lintels with keystones, ornate iron balustrades/ balconies, decorative white stucco cornice with dentils and a high parapet contrasting with the red brick façade (photo 14.1). 14.7 Victorian Villas, numbers 1384-1410, no. 1374 London Road and numbers 2-4 and 6-8 St Helen’s Road •N umbers 1384-1410 are simple single storey parades of shops integrated with Victorian villas (photo 14.6) • No 1374 is a distinctive Victorian villa with a shop at ground floor, a mansard roof with two gables on the corner, decorative white timber dentils under the eaves of the main roof and the gables, a brown brick façade with red brick quoins and string courses, white stone dressings around the decorative groups of three (triforium inspired) windows mark the high street façade, white stone keys and window sills, and red and white striped chimney stacks 14.8 14.9 14.10 (photo 14.2) • Numbers 2-4 and 6-8 have unusually shaped gable ends (photo 14.15, 14.17) with projecting brickwork detail, ornate stone window lintels, dentil brick string courses and recessed entrances with red brick arches (photo 14.15).
Notable buildings: The grouping 1414 - 1432, 1433, 1393 London Road is currently on Croydon’s Local List of Historic Buildings No 1434 is a Grade II Listed Building 14.11 14.12
47 TOWNSCAPE The streetscape of London Road is typical of many high streets in London. Curb side utility boxes and other street furniture create pinch-points, however there is an example of a well-delineated area of street furniture outside no. 1358. The southern section is tree lined and generally more attractive. On St Helen’s Road the central green with a grouping of mature trees create and attractive composition which reflects the original layout (photos 14.14, 14.17).This little green serves local residents as a recreational ground but also terminates vistas from London Road.
LANDSCAPE The area does not reveal distinctive high quality landscape features.
14.4 Negative issues • Poorly designed, cluttered and unsympathetic shop frontages, loss of traditional features on shop frontages • Poorly designed extensions and poor quality window replacements • Loss of front gardens along St Helen’s Rd, St Helen’s Crescent and Norbury Crescent Road. 14.13 •
14.14 14.15
14.16 14.17
48 15. Pollards Hill South 15.1 Summary Current status Designated as a Local Area of Special Character in 1992.
Criteria conformity The character of Pollards Hill South meets the following criteria for Local Heritage Area designation: • Architectural significance: The distinctive grouping of buildings at Pollards Hill South represents a unique example of Arts and Crafts terraces formed in to larger buildings, with a number of distinctive features such as wide overhanging eaves and subtle detailing employing light for articulation. • T ownscape quality: The townscape in the Pollards Hill area represents a well preserved and distinctive example from the interwar period of an innovative approach to defining street frontages through a sequence of courtyards with visual interactions between landscaped public realm and private gardens. Such level of heritage significance requires recognition and protection which can be achieved by designation as a Local Heritage Area.
Recommendation Designate Pollards Hill South as a Local Heritage Area.
15.2 Description of the area Pollards Hill South is located in Norbury. The predominant original character of this Place is Planned Estates of Semi-detached Houses. Though the groupings in the area are technically sets of terraced houses, they sit well in the predominant local residential character. This section of Pollards Hill South contains a distinctive group of buildings with associated townscape that is very well preserved and maintained. The buildings are unusually laid out, contributing to the area’s distinctive streetscape.
15.3 Assessment Heritage significance The organic layout of streets around Pollards Hill corresponds with the rich topography of the area. It was delineated before 1868, and stands out from the rigid grid of the surrounding areas. The first few houses were built around 1890. In 1913 Map 18. Map of the Pollard’s Hill South area
49 Sir Frederick Edrige, Croydon’s well-known benefactor, transferred the ownership of Pollards Hill to the Council. Despite intensive residential development occurring in surrounding areas such as Norbury Estate, the majority of the development on Pollards Hill occurred around 1930 and included a variety of housing types and a recreational ground.
ARCHITECTURE Houses in the area have a very distinctive layout consisting of L-shaped footprints joined together in groupings of four to form larger blocks. The area is an attractive example of Arts and Crafts style. Buildings have little decoration but incorporate bold architectural features such as overhanging eaves, light structures of generously glazed bay windows, large curved oriel windows, and subtle string courses distinguishing the ground and first floors. The colour palette is very simple and based on the contrast between white render walls and dark clay tile roofs. Shadows from projecting elements, such as stretchers, window sills, eaves, oriels and bays, and subtle horizontal lines of coping add depth to façades.
Materials and features: • Rectangular bay windows with square leaded glass (photo 16.1) • Curved oriel windows (photo 16.3) • Distinctive trumpet shaped chimney stacks with red clay chimney pots 16.1 (photos 16.3 & 16.6) • Decorative terracotta window lintels (photo 16.6) • Wide overhanging clay tiled roofs with a consistent decorative tile design (photo 16.2) • Narrow white string course projecting from the façade (photo 16.6). TOWNSCAPE The area includes a section of the historic layout of Pollards Hill South. The consistency and distinctive rhythm of the building pattern creates large shared front gardens with a courtyard feel, which give the area an unusual and attractive streetscape quality. Abundant and mature green spaces and landscaping are 16.2 16.3 important features. The triangular green at Briar Road is a distinctive planned townscape feature which is considered to add to the townscape quality of the area by providing a focal point.
Distinctive townscape features: • Layout of houses forming large ‘mansions’ out of four small terraced houses (photo 16.1, 16.6, 16.7) • Landscaped front courtyards (photo 16.6).
16.4 16.5
50 LANDSCAPE While the area’s special qualities owe more to townscape than landscape, the mature, green setting with front garden landscaping incorporating signature trees makes an important contribution to the attractiveness of the area. The front garden arrangements strengthen the illusion of large houses with generous courtyards. The smaller gardens of the wing houses have mid and large scale planting including trees, hedges and shrubs, whereas the central sections are more open with one shared path in the centre surrounded by low level vegetation.
High quality extent landscape features: • Attractive front garden landscaping complementing the mansion-style layout of buildings (photo 16.6) • Tree-lined street with grass verges (photo 16.4) • Triangular open space of Briars Road with a group of mature trees (photo 16.8) Grouping of mature trees on Briars Road. 15.4 Negative issues • Cable and satellite dishes • Some examples of inconsistent window treatment • Removal of gardens and front boundary walls. 16.6 There is some loss of hedges and front boundary treatments to provide car access. The footway is somewhat cluttered by the location of utility cabinets.
15.5 Example of positive change • The majority of residents installed replacement windows of a unified design.
16.7
16.8
51 PORTLAND ROAD (SOUTH NORWOOD & WOODSIDE)
16. Portland Road Terrace 16.1 Summary Current status Designated as a Local Area of Special Character in 2013. Criteria conformity The character of Portland Road area meets the following criteria for Local Heritage Area designation: • Architectural significance: Portland Road represents a distinctive collection of 20th Century shopping parades with bespoke Arts and Crafts and Gothic inspired features that record the gradual historic development of the area between 1860 until the 1930s. Recommendation Designate No 52-64, 66-84, 88-110, 93-97, 113-121, London City Mission Hall, 1-14 Pembury Road, 1-5 (odd) Balfour Road as the Portland Road Terraces Local Heritage Area. 16.2 Description of the area Portland Road is located in the place of South Norwood and Woodside north east of the South Norwood Conservation Area. It is an example of the historic character urban shopping areas, and as such contains a diverse collection of buildings, the majority dating from 1860 to the 1930s. The residential sections of the buildings on the shopping parades are of various architectural styles and many are good examples of high street architecture. The residential architecture encompasses a wide range of styles and sizes ranging from prominent Victorian villas to modest classical cottages. Materials predominantly consist of exposed London Stock brick, timber detailing around windows and terracotta and ceramic tiles on shop fronts. The area’s gradual development is reflected in the numerous architectural styles present today, in the numerous conversions from retail to residential use and the infill structures. This gradual change has resulted in buildings that relate poorly to the urban context. These sections of Portland Road have not been included in the designation 16.3 Assessment Heritage significance Portland Road was one of the oldest tracks across Norwood Common. It was retained by the 1800 Enclosure Commissioners and given the name Woodside Map 19. Map of the Portland Road area Road. Portland Road was South Norwood’s main shopping centre until the 1860s
52 when the railway station was removed from Portland Road and a new railway station built in 1859 at Norwood Junction Station. The new station changed the commercial centre of South Norwood from Portland Road to the High Street.
ARCHITECTURE Portland Road contains numerous groupings of historic buildings of varying quality, representing a variety of design styles, types of use and degrees of preservation. These are interspersed with contemporary infill developments. On Portland Road, the sections between Doyle Road and Crowther Road, and between Balfour and Pemboury Roads and Apsley Road, represent the highest architectural significance. This area is characterised by its eclectic designs and the number of materials used, which vary throughout the groupings. Nos 52-64 form an attractive and well-detailed two storey yellow brick Victorian terrace with shops on the ground floor and roof storey accommodation (photo 17.1). It is distinct from the rest of Portland Road due to the notable features such as: contrasting brick arch shaped lintels in-filled with yellow brick in a herringbone pattern, and white stone lintels, contrasting narrow black brick string courses marking window top and bottom levels (photo 17.12) and Ornate gable ends with timber barge board and finial, and a set back brick chimney stack with projecting cornices (photo 17.1). Nos 66-84 form a parade of shops is a two storey building with roof 17.1 accommodation, inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement (photo 17.2). Buildings on this parade follow a three level hierarchy of façade design consisting of (1) extensively glazed shop fronts with wide fascias, (2) a regular rhythm of bay windows with bespoke arts and crafts inspired clay decorations, (3) an imposing rhythm of gable dormers. Their imposing rhythm of ornate stone eaves supports and lintels in a contrasting colour to the originally exposed red brick walls (photo 17.3) demonstrate the original care for detail and workmanship. Buildings No 74-84 in the same parade have undergone substantial alterations such as: the unsympathetic and incoherent conversions of shop fronts to flats, which have negatively affected the appearance and integrity of the ground floors and 17.2 17.3 associated street scene (photo 17.4). Nos 88-94 form part of a two storey Gothic inspired Victorian shopping parade with roof accommodation (photo 17.3). It includes strong rhythm created by small gable dormers with projecting timber eaves, elaborate bay windows on the first floor which show vestiges of Venetian Gothic in the carved capitals. The one of three of the original landmark turrets that remains. The turrets originally had an open turret with decorative hood marking corner buildings. Nos 96-110 adjoin nos 88-94 and are more plain in style whilst retaining a strong rythm in their fenestration. No 93-97 represent particularly interesting and well preserved parade of shopfronts with well preserved timber decorations (photo 17.6). Similarly No 113-121 form 17.4 17.5
53 a well-preserved two storey shopping parade (photo 17.5). The upper floor has Venetian Gothic inspired features. Red multi stock brick façades are divided by ornate timber pilasters with corbels marking the shop front fascia, a flat roof hidden behind a brick parapet with thick crisp reconstituted stone coping. Windows are composed symmetrically with a larger unit (three times wider) in the centre and narrower ones beside it. Shop fronts are exceptionally well preserved, with protruding timber fascias, a turned shop front corner with the entrance in the chamfered front have undergone some minor repair works. The predominantly residential surroundings of Portland Road include few distinctive groupings. Nos 93-97 Portland Road, 1-5 (odd) Balfour Road and 1-14 Pembury 17.6 Road are of particularly high design quality. Nos 93-97 Portland Road (photo 17.9) are two storey Italianate style cottages with the name plaque Azoff Place 1855 and were linked with the former brick works site which stood adjacent to the cottages. These buildings are some of the oldest buildings in the area and are characterised by rendered elevations with classical white stucco decorations to openings; projecting white stucco stringcourse between levels. Nos 1-5 (odd) Balfour Road (photo 17.13) represent a grouping of large Victorian semi detached houses with original timber features such as: balustrades, barge 17.7 17.8 boards, gables and eaves (photo 17.10). Nos 1-14 Pembury Road (photo 17.7) is a grouping of small terraced maisonettes with architectural detailing displaying clear references to Ingatestone Road area. Decorative ironwork balustrades to small balconies, recessed entrance areas framed by decorative lintels and ornamental brickwork are the most valuable features.
Notable buildings: London City Mission Hall (photo 17.8) is currently on Croydon’s Local List of Historic Buildings. 1-14 Pembury Road, 1-5 (odd) Balfour Road are particularly well preserved houses with consistent design and authentic features. 17.9 17.10 TOWNSCAPE The buildings in the area have active frontages with relatively well preserved shop fronts. The small Italianate terrace at No 93-97 and a Mission Chapel are sited in the small front gardens, with a building line set back from the edge of the footways.
LANDSCAPE: There are no distinctive landscape features in the area.
16.4 Negative issues • Poor quality conversion from commercial to residential use • Poor maintenance 17.11 17.12 17.13 • Loss of original features, unsympathetic window replacements. 54 17. Portland Road Market Parade 17.1 Summary Current status Designated as a Local Area of Special Character in 2013.
Criteria conformity The character of Portland Road area meets the following criteria for Local Heritage Area designation: • Architectural significance: The Market Parade area on Portland Road represents a distinctive collection of shopping parades with bespoke Gothic and Arts and Crafts inspired features adjacent to an older residential terrace. It records the rapid spatial expansion of the area in the beginning of C20. Recommendation Designate No 116-120, 147-157 Portland Road and No 1-12 Market Parade as the Portland Road Market Parade Local Heritage Area. 17.2 Description of the area The Market Parade area consists of a C19 residential terrace and three sections of C20 shopping parades. The groupings of buildings are of various architectural styles. Materials predominantly consist of exposed London Stock brick, corbelling, timber and stone detailing around windows, timber shop fronts. The area’s gradual development is reflected in the numerous architectural styles present today, in the numerous conversions from retail to residential use and the infill structures.This gradual change has resulted in buildings that relate poorly to the urban context. These sections of Portland Road have not been included in the designation 17.3 Assessment Heritage significance Portland Road was one of the oldest tracks across Norwood Common. It was retained by the 1800 Enclosure Commissioners and given the name Woodside Road. Portland Road was South Norwood’s main shopping centre until the 1860s when the railway station was removed from Portland Road and a new railway station built in 1859 at Norwood Junction Station. The new station changed the commercial centre of South Norwood from Portland Road to the High Street.
ARCHITECTURE Market Parade on Portland Road contains four groupings of historic buildings of good quality, representing a variety of design styles, types of use and degrees of Map 20. Map of the Portland Road area preservation. 55 No 116-120 (photo 18.5) is a Victorian terrace with front gardens and building line projecting over the established frontages of the adjacent shopping parade. Contrasting brick arch shaped lintels in-filled with yellow brick in a herringbone pattern, and white stone lintels, contrasting narrow red brick string courses marking window top and bottom level. Nos 147-157 (photo 18.1) have an Arts and Crafts inspired vernacular 2 storey parade of shops with roof accommodation. A three level hierarchy of façade design consists of (1) extensively glazed shop fronts with wide fascia divided by pilasters with corbels, (2) regular rhythm of rectangular windows on the first floor with, (3) triangular gables with a small elongated window in the centre (photo 18.3). A consistent building line at the ground floor steps back on upper floors in groups of two to accommodate their parallel siting in relation to the buildings on Apsley Road with the slightly skewed alignment of Portland Road. The partition walls have decorative brick coping and prominent chimney stacks. Bespoke Arts and Crafts inspired features such as: a string course at the level of first floor windows made from ornate clay panels with a floral pattern, brick gabled frontages with an imposing rhythm of decorative dentil eaves continued around the whole roof edge, brickwork lintels with upper shadow gaps and ornate standing clay ridge tiles. The Market Parade (photo 18.2) is an early C20 two-storey shopping parade with extensively glazed shop fronts with wide fascias divided by pilasters with corbels 18.1 and recessed entrances. Red brick façades have subtle decorations which include: pilasters with white foliage capitals, a combination of dentils and projecting cornices marking horizontal lines of eaves and fascia. Partition walls are decorated by brick coping and prominent chimney stacks. No 114 (photo 18.4) is a former cinema that was built in 1910. The building was converted into furniture shop resulting in the enclosure of the original entrance area and render cladding. Further alterations saw the introduction of window openings to all façades, amendments to the street scene in order to secure defensive space for the ground floor residents and closure of the turret feature.As a result of these changes the building has not only lost its original appearance, but also represents 18.2 an example of poor architectural design.
TOWNSCAPE There are no distinctive townscape features in the area.
LANDSCAPE: There are no distinctive landscape features in the area.
17.4 Negative issues • Poor quality conversion from commercial to residential use • Poor maintenance 18.5 • Loss of original features, unsympathetic window replacement 18.3 18.4
56 18. St Peter’s Road 18.1 Summary Current status Designated as a Local Area of Special Character in 1992.
Criteria conformity The character of St Peter’s Road meets the following criteria for Local Heritage Area designation: • Architectural significance: St Peter’s Road is an area of distinctive architectural character with groupings of well-preserved Victorian buildings of a high quality design, constituting an important part of Croydon’s heritage. • T ownscape quality: The St Peter’s Road area reveals the pattern of historic development, relates to the topography, represents high quality townscape narrative and is distinctive from the surroundings. • Landscape quality: St Peter’s Road is distinguished by the openness and landscape quality of the St Peter’s Churchyard, which enables long vistas over South Croydon and reveals glimpses across the area and vistas towards Croydon Metropolitan Centre. Such levels of heritage significance requires recognition and protection which can be achieved by designation as a Local Heritage Area.
Recommendation Designate St Peter’s Road as a Local Heritage Area. 18.2 Description of the area St Peter’s Road is in South Croydon and is a good example of the predominant historical residential character which is Large Houses on Relatively Small Plots. The St Peter’s Road area is focussed around the Grade II listed St Peter’s Church. The spire and the church form a landmark around which are grouped a cluster of architecturally significant Victorian villas, including the vicarage, on St Peter’s Road and Blunt Road. The villas and vicarage range from two to four storeys in height with either pitched or cross gabled roofs. Houses are irregularly spaced around the curve of St Peter’s Road. The houses in this area are large and imposing with attractive features including decorative ridge tiles, ornate bargeboards and bracketed cornices. The St Peter’s Road area (particularly around the church) has a mature landscape character.
Map 21. Map of the St Peter’s Road area
57 18.3 Assessment Heritage significance St Peter’s Road area developed gradually behind the main through route of Brighton Road and Selsdon Road. The southern section developed over the 19th Century, with the significant incentives provided by the opening new lines of the London Brighton and South Coast Railways. The St Peter’s Church was designed by Sir G. Gilbert Scott in the Gothic Revival style and constructed between 1849 and 1851. Some of the Victorian villas on St Peter’s Road and Blunt Road were constructed as early as the 1850s and 1860s. The majority of the buildings in the area were built before 1910.
ARCHITECTURE Most of the villas are designed in a Classical style and have a relatively unified character with some important groupings of buildings. The villas have a large range of well preserved architectural features on their elevations. The London stock brick walls incorporate features such as string courses and patterns created with contrasting coloured bricks. Roofs are of either clay or natural slate tiles, although there are some concrete tile replacements.
Materials and features: • Bespoke dormer windows 19.1 • Decorative barge boards and finials (photo 19.10) • Bracketed cornices (photo 19.4) • Bay windows and double hung timber sash windows (photos 19.4 & 19.5) • Stucco quoins • Decorative key stones (photo 19.5) • Pilasters and other decorative stucco or terracotta mouldings (photo 19.3). Notable buildings: St Peter’s Church is a Grade II listed building (photo 19.1). 19.2 19.3 19.4 TOWNSCAPE St Peter’s Road ascends the hill along a curved line which, in combination with mature trees on either side, provides a sense of enclosure in its southern section. The enclosed streetscape opens up at the crossroads with Blunt Road to reveal long vistas towards Croydon Metropolitan Centre. Well-maintained front gardens contribute to the quality of the townscape. There are attractive low boundary walls of either brick or flint with stone coping and piers, picket fences, signature trees, hedges and other planting. The historic wall that marks the boundary of the St Peter’s Road churchyard is of flint construction with stone coping. 19.5 19.6
58 Distinctive townscape features: • Historic flint wall around the boundary of St Peter’s Church (photo 19.1) • Low flint boundary walls to some of the ictorianV villas • The combination of the sweeping street and the hilly topography creates a sense of enclosure followed by opening and long vistas (photo 19.6). LANDSCAPE The focal point of this area is St Peter’s Church which is a Grade II listed building. St Peter’s Road sweeps around the church grounds and the houses facing the church creating an attractive setting for the listed building. The church is a landmark. Its spire is visible from many streets in South Croydon and beyond.
High quality extent landscape features: • Views west created by the openness and topography of the St Peter’s Churchyard • Mature landscaping and trees and the open space in St Peter’s Churchyard. 18.4 Negative issues • Insensitive infill development between existing plots • Loss of original features, including uPVC window replacements. 19.6
19.7 19.8
19.9 19.10
59 19. South End with Ye Market 19.1 Summary Current status South End was designated as a Local Area of Special Character in 1992 and Ye Market in 2013. Amendments to the boundaries were proposed in the course of Croydon Local Plan consultations in 2015.
Criteria conformity The character of the South End area meets the following criteria for Local Heritage Area designation: • Architectural significance: The buildings in the South End area represent distinctive early vernacular and ‘Tudobethan’ architectural style shopping parades from the late 19th Century with a wide range of well-preserved highly decorative historic features. Such a level of heritage significance requires recognition and protection which can be achieved by designation as a Local Heritage Area.
Recommendation Designate Nos 98-104 (even) and 113-131 (odd) South End, Bluesky House, former Swan And Sugarloaf Pub building, Nos 1-15 and 2a-18d Selsdon Road, Nos 1-12 Ye Market as the South End with Ye Market Local Heritage Area.
19.2 Description of the area South End is in South Croydon and is an example of an area of the Urban Shopping Area character that reveals the historical development of this place. The area consists of numbers 111-131 South End (also known as Ledbury Terrace), the former Swan and Sugarloaf public house and an area of public realm at the split junction of South End and Brighton Road, at the front of the pub. Ledbury Terrace is a distinctive terrace of two storey buildings with roof accommodation and consistent building lines. The former Swan and Sugarloaf public house wraps around the junction of South End with Brighton Road and is local landmark and focal point of the vista along South End. It is listed on a Croydon’s Local List of Historic Buildings. 1-12 Ye Market is a late 19th century ‘Tudorbethan’ style parade of shops located on the north-east side of Selsdon Road. It is a single development built with a consistent design and architectural style. The mock Tudor timber façades on upper floors and shops at ground floor level include a range of decorative features and Map 22. Map of the South End area
60 detailing. Despite some alterations that have partially degraded their architectural character, the buildings retain much of their original character.
19.3 Assessment Heritage significance The junction of Brighton Road and Selsdon Road was originally much wider. The Tithe Map of 1838 shows a cottage, garden and stabling built on previously open land on the future site of Ledbury Terrace. To the rear of these buildings were the gardens of Blunt House (demolished in 1889), the home of Sir George Gilbert Scott, the architect who was responsible for St Pancras Station, the rebuild of Croydon Parish Church and the Grade II listed St Peter’s Church which is located to the south east of South End. Ledbury Terrace, built in 1882, frames the triangular open space in front of the Swan and Sugarloaf. The terrace was probably originally symmetrical but in 1899 a bank was established at the northern end and the building was subsequently altered. The Swan and Sugarloaf stands on the site of a farmhouse belonging to the Archbishops of Canterbury. There has been a public house on this junction site of the Selsdon Road and Brighton Road for nearly 200 years and it is known that the it is actually built over the site of a fresh water spring, one of the original sources of the River Wandle. The pub was rebuilt in 1896 (according to the date on the central 20.1 gable) by Croydon brewers Page and Overton. It replaced an earlier pub on the site, a far more modest two-storey building which appears on the tithe map of 1844. 1-12 Ye Market was built around 1899 as a part of the new developments in the South Croydon area spurred on by the expansion of railways, the tramway along Brighton Road, the thriving cattle market and a rapid expansion of the residential areas on both sides of Croham Road. In the mid-19th Century, the Selsdon Road and Brighton Road junction took on new significance, as the site of a toll booth on a turnpike. This area acted as an important transport hub, which was used as a terminus for horse trams in the 1880s, electric trams in 1901 and later for motorised buses. 20.2 20.3 ARCHITECTURE 111-113 South End Road is a classically styled yellow brick and stone building with fine stone carvings that include engaged columns and scrolled pediments. Ledbury Terrace (numbers 115-131) is a distinctive yellow brick Victorian terrace with shops on the ground floor. It has a wealth of architectural detailing, with white painted decorative timber fretted barge boards and contrasting brick window arches in-filled with yellow brick in a herringbone pattern. The Ye Market shopping parade contains a group of buildings with distinctive high quality detailing. Street-facing elevations have three horizontal sections (photos 20.4 20.5 39.1 & 39.2). The ground floor has shop fronts with large windows, recessed
61 entrances, timber fascias and dividing pilasters with corbels (photo 39.3). The first floor has exposed red brick with three-light timber sash windows divided by mullions, narrow pilasters dividing properties and string courses. The second floor has projecting gables with multi-light windows with mullions, half timbering and render. There is decorative lettering with the words ‘Ye Market’ on the elevations of nos. 6 and 12. The the lead turret on the top of 12 Ye Market adds to its distinctive appearance (photo 20.6). Tiled gabled roofs are separated by high party walls with decorative ridges. Brick chimney stacks create a regular rhythm at the roof. Although the quality of the shop fronts varies, nos. 3, 6, 7 and 12 are particularly well preserved. The level of preservation and the collective consistency of this group of buildings reinforces their architectural significance. The former Swan and Sugarloaf public house was designed by a local architect, Alfred Board and built in a commercial version of the Queen Anne revival style with features such as brick arches, bay windows and prominent decorated gables. Many of the distinctive features on the buildings have been retained and works to improve many of the shop fronts have resulted in some of the original features being restored.
Materials and features: •N atural clay roof tiles, chimney stacks and pots (including tall stacks and clay 20.6 pots on 111-113 South End) • Decorative fretted timber barge boards on eaves, gables and dormers (photo 20.2, 20.3, 20.4, 20.5, 20.8) • Visually prominent dormers with either pitched or flat roofs (photo 20.7, 20.8) • Stone lintels and sills • Contrasting black brick arches with yellow brick herringbone detailing (photo 20.6) • Timber bay windows (other windows include timber sash and casement) • Half timbering • Natural stone quoins at first floor, natural stone dentils (photo 20.9) 20.7 • Pilasters and decorative pilaster heads on Shop fronts (photo 20.4, 20.8). Scrolled finials above gables • Pilasters with decorative scrolled capitals and fascia • Regular rhythm of frontages with the same composition. • Timber sash windows with projecting sills
20.8 20.9
62 • String courses • Half timbering at second floor level. Notable buildings: Swan and Sugarloaf (photo 20.7) , Bluesky House, Nos 114 and 111-113 South End, Nos 10, 12, 14 Selsdon Road are currently on Croydon’s Local List of Historic Buildings. 111-131 Ledbury Terrace is particularly well preserved building with consistent design and authentic features (photo 20.8). 12 Ye Market is particularly well preserved with consistent design and authentic features.
TOWNSCAPE South End has a triangular shaped layout created by the meeting of Brighton Road and South End, one of Croydon’s oldest roads. The former Swan and Sugarloaf public house is a local landmark and a focal point for the southern vista along South End. A larger than average forecourt to the front of the Public House marks the transition between the South End street frontage and Brighton Road (photo 20.1). Nos.111-131 South End is located opposite the Swan and Sugarloaf and is a single street frontage of distinctive three storey buildings with consistent building lines. The buildingline along eastern side of Selsdon Road is set back at the front of Ruskin House to reflect on the historic, nonexistent school building. It is a distinctive 20.10 piece of public realm in otherwise tight knit urban fabric of the local centre. The Ye Market parade has consistent building lines and heights that follow the topography of the hill. Located at the junction of Ye Market and Selsdon Road, the frontage of 12 Ye Market wraps around the corner of St Peter’s Road to create a focal point for the vista along Selsdon Road. LANDSCAPE There are no distinctive landscape features in the area.
19.4 Negative issues • Loss of original architectural features such as decorative bargeboards • Satellite dishes • Timber sash windows replaced with unsympathetic uPVC casement windows • Poor maintenance • Traditional shop fronts cluttered with unsympathetic advertisements and signs.
63 20. Station Approach in Coulsdon 20.1 Summary Current status Designated as a Local Area of Special Character in 1997.
Criteria conformity The character of the Station Approach area in Coulsdon meets the following criteria for Local Heritage Area designation: • Architectural significance: The Station Approach area in Coulsdon is a group of well-preserved modest Victorian railway cottages with bespoke features inspired by the Aesthetic style, built in the 1900s. • Townscape quality: The Station Approach area in Coulsdon has a well- preserved historic layout consisting of a narrow street and intimately sized pedestrian passageways which run to the rear and side of the cottages. This creates a high quality domestic scale public realm. Such a level of heritage significance requires recognition and protection which can be achieved by designation as a Local Heritage Area.
Recommendation Designate 1 - 21 Station Approach and 1-4 Railway Terrace in Coulsdon as a Local Heritage Area.
20.2 Description of the area The Station Approach area is in Coulsdon. It is a fine example of the residential character which are Cottages, terraced Houses & Close Knit Semi-Detached Houses that reflect the historic development of this place. The area contains two groups of small well preserved two storey modest Victorian railway cottages. The first group comprises numbers 1-21 Station Approach and the second includes 1-4 Railway Terrace. The modest domestic scale of the buildings is reflected in narrow street widths and intimately sized pedestrian passageways running along the rear and side of the cottages. Architectural features such as alternating dormers and gable features, paired sash windows and arched recessed doorways are well preserved.
Map 23. Map of the Station Approach area
64 20.3 Assessment Heritage significance The history of the Station Approach area is directly related to the development of the London Brighton Railway and the South Eastern Railway, and the opening of Coulsdon North railway station in 1899. The residential terraces were built during the 1900s to provide homes for railway workers close to the station and the high street.
ARCHITECTURE This Victorian terrace remains almost in its original condition. The design has influences of the Aesthetic style. The terrace consists of small distinctive two storey brick houses with alternating dormer and gable features. The houses are simple in design with narrow fronts that contain paired sash windows and arched recessed doorways. Although some of the windows have been replaced, this has not harmed the rhythm and unity of the terrace. While the individual houses are not remarkable in themselves, as a terrace, the simplicity and replication of design give them a strong visual cohesiveness that reinforces their architectural significance.
Materials and features: • Simple brick buildings with plain red brick lintels, arches and dressing (photos 20.1, 20. 4 & 20. 5) 21.1 • Timber sash windows (photos 20. 1, 20. 4 - 6) • Cast iron rainwater pipes (photos 20. 1 - 3) • Plain timber bargeboards with timber pediments (photo 20. 6) • Compact chimney stacks with clay pots (photos 20.1, 20.3 - 6) • Alternating groups of dormers and gables (photo 5). TOWNSCAPE Station Approach consists of a single street frontage of 21 houses and a terrace of four houses (1 - 4 Railway Terrace). Both are connected by a historic network of narrow pedestrian pathways which run along the side and rear of the buildings 21.2 21.3 21.4 and provide a link to Brighton Road. The layout of the area creates a high quality domestic scale public realm and reflects the historical development of the site.
LANDSCAPE This area does not contain any distinctive landscape elements.
20.4 Negative issues Replacement timber sash windows with uPVC casement windows.
21.5 21.6
65 21. Stoats Nest Village 21.1 Summary Current status An area proposed for Local Heritage Area designation during the consultation of the Croydon Local Plan: Detailed Policies and Proposals, based on its heritage value.
Criteria conformity The character of Stoats Nest Village meets the following criteria for Local Heritage Area’s designation: • Architectural quality: Stoats Nest Village, the first Homes for Heroes in Coulsdon, is a well preserved example of modest social housing from the beginning of C20.. • Townscape quality: The buildings of Stoats Nest Village has a planned and well preserved layout built around a green. The streets and houses create a distinctive composition well integrated into the hill slope. It is based on geometry and rhythm of houses with repetitive design and spacing opening views across the valley and towards the centre of Coulsdon. Such a level of heritage significance requires recognition and protection which can be achieved by designation as a Local Heritage Area.
Recommendation Designate Stoats Nest Village as Local Heritage Area
21.2 Description of the area Stoats Nest Village is a planned estate of semi detached buildings set in the rigorous layout of streets with large green area in the centre. There are four varieties to the architectural design of the buildings. Location on the slope of the hill enables attractive long distance views.
21.3 Assessment Heritage significance Stoats Nest Village was the first “Homes fit for Heroes” in the area. The Purley and Coulsdon Urban District Council had the compulsory purchase order for the site confirmed at the end of 1919 and constructions began soon after. Stoats Nest Village was inhabited primarily by returned service men and public employees needing home. The name referred to the large green in the centre and to the rural Map 24. Map of the The Netherlands area area
66 surroundings. .
ARCHITECTURE Stoats Nest Village area contains a variety of plain semi-detached interwar houses with rendered walls. The design references the International Modernist Style and rural vernacular. The first is defined by simple facades without decorative features, the second - by small gables cutting through relatively low roofs. Plain facades have very minimal decorations including string courses and simple door hoods. There is a relatively low number of outbuildings and extensions visible from the street scene. The architectural design is a good quality example of an early interwar council housing development in rural suburbs.
Materials and features: • Distinctive design variations corresponding with topography and townscape composition • Plain rendered facades • Hipped roofs and pitched roofs with small gables at the front. Notable buildings: Collective consistency of buildings. 22.1 TOWNSCAPE Stoats Nest Village was planned to create living environment fostering healthy communities. Street layout is designed to delineate relatively large open spaces and enforce slower car movement close to houses. Buildings reflect on topography by vertical staggering and design variations enforcing horizontal composition of some facades or accentuating the transitions with well pronounced gables of the others. Distinctive townscape features: • Green spaces complementing street scene • Regular rhythm and design variations of buildings corresponding with 22.2 topography and shape of public space • Long range views over the buildings and between houses. LANDSCAPE Stoats Nest Village is landscaped in a manner typical for interwar Council housing, with generous but stark common green areas.
21.4 Negative issues • Replacement of original timber windows with uPVC • Poor maintenance of front gardens 22.3 22.4 • Loss of front boundaries
67 22. Stuart Crescent 22.1 Summary Current status Designated as a Local Area of Special Character in 2013.
Criteria conformity The character of Stuart Crescent meets the following criteria for Local Heritage Area’s designation: • T ownscape quality: Stuart Crescent has a planned and well preserved layout built around a historic copse. The streets and houses create a distinctive composition based on geometry and rhythm of houses with repetitive design. • Landscape quality: The mature landscaping of Stuart Crescent reveal the historic character of the landscape pre-dating development. It complements and strengthens the layout of the area providing terminations to key vistas, enabling glimpses through and long distance views towards tall buildings in central and eastern London. Such a level of heritage significance requires recognition and protection which can be achieved by designation as a Local Heritage Area. Recommendation Designate Stuart Crescent as Local Heritage Area
22.2 Description of the area Stuart Crescent is in Shirley and is a fine example of the predominant original residential character which is Planned Estates of Semi-detached Houses. It is a circular shaped street with a copse in the centre. Three perpendicular routes connect the crescent to the wider street network of the surrounding area. The regular rhythm of semi-detached buildings have a consistency in design which is also reflected in the layout. Groups of mature trees form a canopy over the public open space in the circular copse. In 2014 the buildings, townscape and landscape are of good condition. 22.3 Assessment Heritage significance Stuart Crescent is part of the Spring Park Estate. It is a substantial area of interwar housing built on open countryside and land that was formerly part of Spring Park Farm. It is a section of a wider single phase residential development built in the early 1930s around a wooded copse. Historic maps which date from 1868 show a copse in its current location. The Cresent was built by Gower Houses and was Map 25. Map of the Stuart Crescent area named for the son of the developer. 68 ARCHITECTURE The houses were built in an architectural style typical of 1930s and 40s British suburbia, with features typical of the era such as tile-hung bays, leaded windows, and integral garages. Buildings are uniform in design, with some later alterations. The symmetry of the front elevations is strengthened by a pairs of two storey double bay windows decorated with ceramic hanging tiles. These project out from the cat- slide sections of the hip-and-valley roofs that cover them (photo 23.2). Centrally located chimney stacks mark the central point of each building. Front elevations are clad with exposed red brick whereas sides are predominantly rendered or covered with pebble dash. Detached garages are set back from the building line.
Materials and features: • Distinctive ‘cat-slide’ roof design clad with clay tiles (photos 23.2, 23.5, 23.6 & 23.7) • Exposed brick façades (photos 23.2, 23.4, 23.5 & 23.6) • Bay windows with ceramic tile hangings between storeys (photos 23.2, 23.5 - 23.7) • Panelled doors with a small window to the side (photos 23.1-23.5) • Twelve-light windows, stained glass sections at side (photo 23.2) • Overhanging eaves with decorative supports (23.4) 23.1 • Centrally located chimney stacks, some with original clay pots (photo 23.2). Notable buildings: Collective consistency of buildings.
TOWNSCAPE The copse is visible on the 1868 OS map, and although replanted in the more recent past, it clearly has historic origins. The crescent has a distinctive formal layout around a circular green space, which is its key feature. The entrance from Lime Tree Grove is flanked by two pairs of houses (Numbers 1-3 and 2-4) that are positioned diagonally to street frontages 23.2 23.3 (photo 23.5). These buildings form a gateway into the crescent and create framed views towards the grouping of mature trees in the middle of the circular copse through to Palace View were the view is terminated by the tight frontages of the buildings on this street. Ferris Avenue runs perpendicular from Stuart Crescent. The Avenue provides a visual link from Stuart Crescent to Greenway Gardens where a gap in the building line provides views of Foxes Wood. The tight rhythm of semi-detached houses and the largely consistent low level brick boundary walls with overhanging planting combined with tree canopies in the copse creates a sense of enclosure. The central area functions as an outdoor meeting area for residents and is used for community events. (photos 23.4, 23.5, 23.6, 23.9) 23.4
69 The townscape of Stuart Crescent is enriched by special features such as the square at the junction of South Way and Lime Tree Grove, and Stuart Crescent. The natural woodlands of Foxes Wood and Kennel Wood constitute the main boundary of the estate.
Distinctive townscape features: • Circular street • Wooded copse landscape with historic origins • Public space in the copse 23.5 • Regular spacing between buildings • Diagonally positioned gateway buildings. LANDSCAPE Landscaping plays a key role in the special character of Stuart Crescent. The grouping of towering mature trees in the central circular grassed copse allow for views of the surrounding streets, while the dense tree canopies terminate vistas from the surrounding streets. The landscaping in front gardens complement this composition, with mid-level planting with vibrantly coloured leaves and flowers. Long distance views towards groupings of tall buildings in central London and Canary Wharf can be seen from between the trees within the copse. There is a 23.6 strong visual relationship with surrounding woodlands, in particular from Ferris Avenue through to Greenway Gardens where a break in the building line allows for views of Foxes Wood.
High quality extent landscape features: • Historic layout of wooded copse with a group of mature trees • Glimpses through Stuart Crescent • V isual links with surrounding woods • Long distance views towards central and East London.
22.4 Negative issues 23.7 23.8 • Replacement of original features such as timber windows, stained glass & door side lights • Enclosure of porches • Loss of front garden walls • Side and garage extensions • Loss of mature trees due to disease and age.
23.9
70 23. THE DUTCH VILLAGE 23.1 SUMMARY Current status Designated as a Local Area of Special Character in 2013.
Criteria conformity The character of The Dutch Village area meets the following criteria for Local Heritage Area designation: • Architectural significance: The Dutch Village area contains a group of detached and semi-detached houses which were built in a distinctive Dutch style that is unique within Croydon. • Townscape quality: The original layout from the 1930’s is retained. The siting of buildings is well integrated with topography and allows for glimpses between and over houses towards open green spaces and multilayered roofscapes. Such a level of heritage significance requires recognition and protection which can be achieved by designation as a Local Heritage Area.
Recommendation Designate The Dutch Village as a Local Heritage Area. Consider changes to the boundary of the existing LASC to include 12-18 Woodplace Lane which formed part of the original Dutch style estate designed by Dutch architect Wouter Hamdorff and exclude later additions that were partly inspired but not designed or built by the Wouter Hamdorff.
Include 4, 6 and 8 Woodplace Lane as these buildings also formed part of the original Dutch style estate designed by Hamdorff.
23.2 DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA The Dutch Village is located in Coulsdon and is a fine example of the predominant original distinctive residential character of this place, which is Detached Houses on Relatively Large Plots. The Dutch Village consists of detached and semi-detached houses on sections of The Netherlands, Wilhelmina Avenue and Woodplace Lane which, were built in a distinctive Dutch style that is unique within Croydon. The area is located on a hillside and provides scenic views from the highest points of the estate towards the leafy hills of the Farthing and the North Downs, through gaps between buildings and over roofs.
Map 1. Map of the The Netherlands area
71 23.3 Assessment 23.4 Heritage significance The area is referred to as ‘The Dutch Village’ and incorporates The Netherlands, Woodpark Lane and Wilhelmina Avenue. The first part of the estate was designed and built during the 1920s to 1930s by a Dutch firm who used Dutch workers and materials. It was described by its Dutch architect Wouter Hamdorff as a ‘modern Dutch garden village’. Construction stopped in 1937 and the remaining section of the estate and its buildings designed and completed after the Second World War by a different architect and building firm. Although these buildings were inspired by the original Dutch style buildings the proportions and style differs from those designed by Wouter Hamdorff.
ARCHITECTURE This is a striking group of housing a part of which was built on the former farmyard of nearby Hooley Farm. Buildings have a range of distinctive and unifying architectural details. The houses have steeply pitched roofs with some eyebrow dormers, prominent chimney stacks with clay pots, tile hung walls and red brick details. The group have a symmetrical composition.
Materials and features: • Feature recessed entrances (photo 24.1) 24.1 • Dwarf walls with brickwork that match the building (photos 24.1) • Steep roof pitch with catslide roof sections (photo 24.1, 24.5 and 24.6). Notable buildings: No’s 1, 5, 7, 9 The Netherlands is currently on Croydon’s Local List of Historic Buildings.
TOWNSCAPE The street which forms a loop is set in undulating terrain. The location of the buildings and the spacing between them provides glimpses towards open green spaces or multilayered roofscapes (photo 24.6). 24.2 24.3 Ornamental vegetation behind dwarf walls defines boundaries to the street and green verges and street trees help to create a sense of continuity along the street.
Distinctive townscape features: •S triking views from the top of the hill as well as up the hill • Decorative tree lines in sections and signature trees at the front of properties.
24.4 24.5
72 LANDSCAPE The hilly topography and layout allows for glimpses between and over buildings providing views of multilayered roofscapes, wooded landscapes and long distance views across green fields. The soft landscaping within the front gardens play and important role in reinforcing the picturesque setting of this area(see picture 24.5). Front gardens are predominantly lawn, shrubs and hedges with small areas of hard landscaping. Boundaries are strongly defined by brick or flint dwarf walls with hedge, shrub and trees planted behind them. The combination of grass verges, street trees and planting within front gardens reinforces the green landscape character of this area.
High quality extent landscape features: • Long distance views across green fields • Glimpses through the building line towards trees. 23.5 Negative issues • Many houses have been rendered • Alterations to the eyebrow dormers • Alterations to catslide roofs 24.6 • Overly large extensions • Removal of boundary walls to front gardens • Loss of soft landscaping and replacement with hard landscaping • Infilling of recessed entrances • Dormers or rooflights to the front of the building or in visible locations to the side of buildings • Replacement of original materials with unsympathetic replacements.
24.7
24.8 24.9
73 24. Thornton Heath District Centre 24.1 Recommendations Current status An area proposed for Local Heritage Area designation during the consultation of the Croydon Local Plan: Detailed Policies - Preferred and Alternative Options, based on its Architectural qualities.
Criteria conformity The character of St Alban’s Church (including the church hall), 2-28 (even) and 11- 61(odd) High Street in the Thornton Heath District Centre area meets the following criteria of the Local Heritage Area designation: • Architectural significance: Nos 2-28 (even) and 11-61 (old) High Street in the Thornton Heath District Centre area have distinctive classical Georgian, Perpendicular and Queen Anne architectural styles dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries with a wide range of well-preserved highly decorative historic features. Such a level of heritage significance requires recognition and protection which can be achieved by designation as a Local Heritage Area. 1-9 is a single storey building which did not form part of the early development of the High Street. These buildings do not reveal any significant heritage value or contain distinctive elements which would meet the criteria for Local Heritage Area designation. These buildings have not been included within the Local Heritage Area.
Recommendation Designate Nos 11-61 High Street (odd) and 2-28 High Street (even) in Thornton Heath District Centre as a Local Heritage Area.
24.2 Description of the area Thornton Heath District Centre is located in Thornton Heath. It is a fine example of the non-residential character Urban Shopping Areas that reflect the historic development of this place. There are two sections on High Street in Thornton Heath that reveal distinctive
Map 27. Map of the Thornton Heath area
74 architectural qualities. The first section includes the Prince George Public House (2-4) and Nos 6 - 28 High Street (even). The second section consists of nos. 11-59 High Street (odd) and the Thomas Forley Public House (61 High Street). Although the classically designed terrace which consists of nos. 6-28 High Street is in poor condition, many fine original features can still be observed. The simplicity in its elegant design makes it distinct from the surrounding architecture, and unique in Croydon. The Queen Anne style terraces located at 11-59 High Street have well preserved detailing and prominent gables which contribute to their distinctive appearance. In this grouping there are a few original shop fronts which still retain their original bespoke architectural detailing.
24.3 Assessment Heritage significance Thornton Heath High Street was created in response to the opening of the railway station in 1862 and the subsequent rapid development of the area. The railway provided easy access to London, making Thornton Heath a new attractive rural location for the middle classes to live. Development in the area was primarily carryout out by Land Societies such as ‘The Lambeth & Provincial’ ‘The British Land Society’ and ‘The Englishman.’ The majority of the development in the area consisted of villas, large houses and shops which 25.1 served the new local population. The classically design parade (Nos. 6-28) which was built in 1868 was part of the earliest shopping parade on the high street. During 1890 and 1910 the area surrounding the High Street went through significant development. Local historian J C Anderson noted that Thornton Health had changed from a suburban location to “one of the most densely populated localities in the borough.” It was during this time that the shopping parade (Nos. 11-59) was built.
ARCHITECTURE Section 1 - Nos 6-28 High Street: This area contains buildings in a variety of styles. Nos. 6-28 High Street form a 25.2 25.3 25.4 row of three-storey Georgian style terraced buildings with shops at ground floor level. These buildings have a simple, modest design that incorporates rusticated white stucco uppers with a circular feature between the first and second storey (photo 25.6). Like the upper storeys, the shop fronts have a simple design that incorporates glazed ceramic tile pilasters with modestly designed pilaster heads. By contrast, the classically styled Local Listed building, the Prince George Public House (2-4 High Street) is designed to mark the entrance to the High Street from Whitehouse Road and Grange Road (photo 25.1). This elaborate four storey building, (including an upper floor set back behind a stone parapet) incorporates marble, red brick and stone. With the exception of the shop fronts, all buildings retain many of their distinctive features, which are fairly well preserved. 25.5 25.6
75 Section 2 - 11-61 High Street: Although the design of the buildings vary, the unifying feature is the prominent gables that create a rhythm along the street. Nos. 11-59 High Street are a set of 3 Queen Anne style terraced buildings with shops at ground floor level. These buildings range from the highly ornate numbers 33-45 High Street (photo 25.5) to more modest designs of number 11-31 (photo 25.8 ) and 47-59 (photo 25.2). Nos. 23-45 have a mix of Dutch and cape gables, bay windows, stone dressings, blocked pilasters and a turret to mark the corner (photo 25.5). Buildings in this group have either is a red brick or stucco finish. At either end of this building are less ornate terraces with simple yet prominent gables (nos. 11-19 have cape gables), that address the corners of the street. Nos. 13-17 is a red brick gabled terrace with stone banding and lintels (photo 25.10). Nos. 11 & 19 form bookends to 13-17 High Street and although they are identical in design they have a stucco finish. Although the original shop fronts from 11-43 have been lost, there is evidence of original features such as glazed ceramic tile pilasters (photo 25.4) and modestly designed pilaster heads. The upper storeys of numbers 45-59 are the plainest of all the terraces (photo 25.3). These buildings are made from London Stock brick with contrasting red brick detailing and stone dressings on the upper storeys. The shop fronts in this terrace are the most elaborate and with many of its original features still evident, they are 25.7 some of the best preserved. Features include lozenge shaped elaborately designed pilaster heads and patterned glazed ceramic pilasters (photo 25.4). The Thomas Foley Public House (no. 61) is a locally listed highly elaborate Victorian public house of marble, red brick and sandstone. Key features of this building include prominent gables, double bays, entrances with wheel (round) windows, and broken pediments decorated with swags in tympana (photo 25.3). All buildings within this group retain many of their distinctive features which are fairly well preserved.
Materials and features: Section 1 - 2-28 High street: 25.8 25.9 • Rusticated Stucco upper façades (photos 25.3 & 25.6) • Red brick and stone façades (photos 25.1) • Glazed ceramic tiles on pilasters on lower ground floors (photo 25.4) • Circular feature between first and second floors (photos 25.3 & 25.6). Section 2 - 11-61 High Street: • Red brick and London Stock brick façades with contrasting string courses (photos 25.2 & 25.5) • Prominent gables in an alternating plan, Dutch and Cape inspired Dutch
25.10 25.11
76 (photo 25.5) Nos 11-61 High Street: • Unusual lozenge shaped high decorative pilaster heads (photo 25.9) This area does not contain any distinguishing features that would meet the landscape criteria for Local Heritage Area designation. • Original decorative and glazed ceramic tiles on pilasters and in entrances • Window’ s with stone dressing, hood moulds and aprons (photo 25.5). 24.4 Negative issues Notable buildings: • Poor maintenance Collective consistency of nos. 6-28 and 11-59 High Street, the original shopfront • Modern shop front replacements on 43 & 53 High Street are particularly well preserved with consistent design and authentic features. • Loss of original decorative features (such as pilaster heads and glazed ceramic tiles) Croydon’s Local List of Historic Buildings: The George Public House (2-4 High • Timber sash windows (including stained glass) replaced with uPVC Street) and The Thomas Forley Public House (61 High Street). casement windows TOWNSCAPE • Rendering and painting of uppers. The Thornton Heath District Centre was built over a 40 year period in response to the introduction of the railway. The layout responded to the historic road infrastructure and remains largely unchanged and reveals the historic pattern of development in this location.
Section 1 - Nos 2-4 High Street: Developed around 1868, it incorporates one of the oldest remaining areas of the high street. The incremental construction of buildings has resulted in inconsistent building lines, for example the George Public House is located where it obscures the view of the Grade II listed St Alban’s Church from along the High Street. However, both the public house and the church are highly visible from Whitehouse Road. Although the original layout of this area remains, it does not contain any townscape features that make it distinct from other shopping streets and this area does not meet the townscape criteria for Local Heritage Area designation.
Section 2 - Nos 11-61 High Street: This section of the street was built between 1890 and 1910. Laid out on previously developed land, the site was redeveloped in response to the urbanisation of the area and the need to extend the high street retail offering. These buildings are set back to the same building line and designed to address corners, giving the area a more consistent feel. Although well-preserved, the layouts do not have any townscape features that make it distinct from other shopping streets.
LANDSCAPE Nos 2-4 High Street: This area does not contain any distinguishing features that would meet the landscape criteria for Local Heritage Area designation.
77 UPPER SHIRLEY ROAD (SHIRLEY) 25. Upper Shirley Road 25.1 Summary Current status Designated as a Local Area of Special Character in 2013.
Criteria conformity The character of the section of Upper Shirley Road indicated on the map meets the following criteria for Local Heritage Area designation: • Architectural significance: Buildings in the Upper Shirley Road area represent a range of styles and architectural forms dating from the 18th Century, with well-preserved original features. The grouping, its design and its layout constitutes a record of the local history of building culture and development in the area. Such level of heritage significance requires recognition and protection which can be achieved by designation as a Local Heritage Area.
Recommendation Designate the section of Upper Shirley Road between The Surprise Public House and no. 127 on the Eastern side and between Shirley Palace and The Dene on the Western side as a Local Heritage Area.
25.2 Description of the area Upper Shirley Road is in Shirley and is a historic example of the predominant residential character of this place, which is Terraced Houses and Cottages. The area is composed of a number of residential properties representing a variety of styles and types, and a pub. A small mews between and behind buildings on the main road provides enclosure, and its streetscape features are particularly attractive including climbers, high walls and original detailing. The settlement on Upper Shirley Road has changed little over the 20th Century and reveals the historic pattern of development. The buildings and townscape of the area are generally in good condition, however, there are some buildings and streets that require higher levels of maintenance.
Map 28. Map of the Upper Shirley Road area
78 25.3 Assessment Heritage significance Maps dating from 1868 show a small hamlet near the crossroads between Upper Shirley Road, Oaks Road and Sandpit Lane. During the 18th Century the area was a compact industrial location with sand pits and a brewery. The area transformed significantly at the end of the 19th Century, mainly due to the closure of the brewery around 1892 after over 40 years of successful operation. Upper Shirley Road continued to accommodate local industrial workers and provide rough entertainment in The Surprise and The Sandrock. Both the Surprise Public House (built in 1868 and located on Upper Shirley Road) and the Sandrock Hotel (built in 1867 and located on the corner of the sandpits) remain today. As a result of releasing industrial land, only a few buildings (of a variety of styles and ages) have survived into the 21st Century.
ARCHITECTURE The area has many buildings ranging from small terraced houses to larger detached houses and The Surprise Public House, all of which are richly detailed. These largely 18th Century buildings delineate tight but fragmented frontages to the street, with numbers 120-126 arranged in a little mews behind number 118 (a plain Victorian cottage with stuccoed façade and multi-pane sash windows). A pair of cottages - Numbers 128 and 132 have a similar design to 111. 26.1 No 112-110 is a pair of two storeyed stuccoed late 18th Century houses. Each has three sash windows with recessed blank panels above first storey windows (photo 26.8). These houses are all that remain of a longer terrace. No 108 is a detached house set back from the street and surrounded by a tall brick wall topped with clay tile cap stones and tall piers topped with a spire. Built in the 1930’s, it is of a modest Neo-Georgian style with twelve light sash windows, subtle exposed brick detailing and an ornate stucco doorhood. No. 113-123 is a simple and plain Victorian terrace that has gone through numerous alterations to the individual buildings, however the setting and overall massing of the original form is preserved.
Materials and features: 26.2 26.3 26.4 • Brick boundary walls with decorative coping (photos 26.1, 26.8 & 26.10) • A variety of timber window forms: oriel, sash, corner bays and dormers (photos 26.3, 26.5 - 26.6, 26.8 & 26.11) • Cupolas and ridge tiles (photos 26.4 & 26.6) • Decorative patterned lead flashing under the windows • No. 108 has original walls, windows and wrought iron work (photos 26.8 & 26.10) • T ile hangings (photo 26.3) • Quoins (photo 26.8). 26.5 26.6
79 Notable buildings: •N umbers 110 and 112 are Grade II listed buildings TOWNSCAPE The oldest section of Upper Shirley Road, together with adjacent residential estates from the early and mid 20th Century, form a small isolated settlement surrounded by Pine Woods and Addington Hills. There are dense and mature layers of landscaping associated with neighbouring developments such as Coloma Convents School. The Sandrock Public House located on the corner with Sandpits Road is the focal point of Upper Shirley Road. The layout reflects the historical development of the area, with a range of different plot shapes and sitings of buildings in relation to the street. Some high quality townscape features are preserved such as brick and clay tile boundary walls and a few mature trees. The Dene and nos. 120-126 on the adjacent street form two small mews with buildings tightly sited at the end of a narrow access. This introduces a sense of enclosure and seclusion that contrasts with the busy Upper Shirley Road. The streetscape here includes gravel surfacing, climbing plants, tall brick boundary walls and original detailing. The Upper Shirley Road area does not have distinctive high quality townscape 26.7 features.
LANDSCAPE The Upper Shirley Road area has a green and verdant character consisting of tall mature trees with dense canopies, hedges behind brick boundary wall and climbing plants on the walls of building however, it does not have distinctive landscape features.
25.4 Negative issues • Poor maintenance • Poor quality infill developments 26.8 26.9 • Pebbledash or other unsympathetic elevation treatments • Loss of original windows • Loss of boundary walls or unsympathetic replacement boundary walls • Loss of hedges and trees in front • Paving front gardens.
26.10 26.11
80